Of Demons and Girls With Too Many Cats
by Mariel Nightstalker
Summary: Harry Potter is not the Boy Who Lived. Nobody is. SLASH, Demons, and disturbing themes. OMC/Harry
1. Chapter 1

Of Demons and Girls With Too Many Cats

A/N: Okay, I was wandering around the house today, eating too much candy and fantasizing about platform boots when this rabid, foaming-at-the-mouth bunny comes out of _nowhere _and takes a chunk out of my leg. The following phantasmagorical experience caused by its venom(yes, bunnies do have venom now because I said so) eventually spawned this hulking nightmarish attempt at a literary attempt. Enjoy. And if anybody in the audience has any creams for rabies, please contact me immediately. My leg is turning purple with yellow polka-dots from that dastardly rabbit.

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Chapter One

Severus Snape was not ashamed of being a little nosier than was acceptable to society. He was a spy, making it his business to know everything about everybody without them knowing. Which would explain why he was currently in the dwelling place of that ridiculous excuse of a Divination teacher, flipping through notebooks filled with 'prophecies'. His eyes came across one that seemed strangely intense, the writing large and erratic and done in scarlet ink. It spoke of one who would defeat the Dark Lord. Deciding that even though the prophecy was most likely insubstantial, he almost put it away with the others when he realized that this would be just the sort of excuse his Master had been looking for to slaughter some purebloods. Preferably the muggle-loving type.

Smirking most deviously, he meticolously copied the prophecy onto a spare sheet of parchment and departed from the tower, nearly taking a nasty fall from the ladder in his haste. Stalking through the halls, he nodded to Filch before heading outside into the sickening June sunshine. Once past the anti-appartition wards, he used his mark to transport himself to the prescence of the Dark Lord.

Immediately kneeling, he only dared to raise his head when the Dark Lord had given him permission to rise. Applying the mask of a loyal follower with the ease of frequent use, he presented the parchment and explained himself by saying, "I was searching for information on the Order of the Phoenix when I came across this prophecy that undoubtedly foretells of one who shall dare to confront you in the open, using some kind of unknown power. There is no dount in my mind that this child can be defeated easily, but it may be bothersome in the future."

"Well, then we shall simply kill the child now. Or children, as we should kill a couple extra just to make sure we got the right one. And we should kill the child's entire family too in order to destroy any possibilty of them breeding another little terror with a hero complex. I simply can not stand the pompous bastards so idolized by the ignorant populace these days."

"I agree, my Lord. May I be dismissed? If I am absent too long, he will grow suspicious of me."

"Yes, yes, you may go." He waved a hand idly, preoccupied with remembering which families had defied him three times. And irritated him enough to kill them off and not realize that they had provided some kind of irreplacable service that he would then have to live without. Not something he wanted to do, if he was to be the immortal ruler of the ruler.

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Albus Dumbledore was having a good day. His order of jelly beans had come in the post today and they were far more pleasant that Berties Every Flavor Beans. There were no children destroying his school and making mischeif in broom closets. Filch had nothing to complain about and Severus was most likely too busy brewing potions to concoct any schemes involving the hijacking of the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Maybe he should let the poor boy have what he wanted just for one year. The idea was quickly discarded and he unwrapped a lemon drop before popping it into his mouth.

It had been awhile since he'd written dear old Gellert. Perhaps he should send him a care package again? It had been fun last time deciding what to put inside and how to cram all of the things he knew annoyed Gellert the most into one box and allow it to still pass Nurmengard Prison's standards for inmate mail.

As he contemplating this and the way the sunlight tickled the nose of his least-favorite portrait, Minerva came storming into the room looking heatbroken and most unkempt, two things Albus had never seen her display before. She broke down into tears and threw herself into his lap, immediately soaking his favorite purple robes with dancing lollies. After a few awkward moments involving him rubbing her back, she used his beard as a handkerchief (something he most certainly did NOT appreciate!) and hiccuped a bit. "I-I'm sorry Albus! The Longbottoms are dead, slaughtered, gone. A-And the Potters are too."

"W-What?!" Albus stuttered, watching his good day depart while stopping to steal his good silver along the way, completely flabbergasted. "What happened? Was it Voldemort?" He whispered the last part, shifting his eyes around his office. Minerva nodded, sobbing a few more times before compsoing herself as well as she was able.

"Yes, I went to visit them and give them the sweater I made for little Neville when I noticed smoke rising from the house. Alice was lying dead in the middle of the yard bleeding from the head. It was too late for her to be saved, along with her husband who I found in the kitchen. His mother was in the nursery holding little Neville, in a last attempt to protect him. He died of exposure as the roof was blown off." She sniffled into Albus' beard before continuing, "After I alerted the aurors, I went to visit their neighbors, the Potters and found that they had met the same fate. Little Harry is the only one left alive there."

"Well, where is the child?"

"In the hospital wing being tended to by Poppy. He had a few minor burns and scratches from the scuffle. He also appears to have a curse scar on his forehead that could possibly kill him later in life if he is exposed to too much magic, which the curse could then possibly feed off of and become something horrific. You never know with dark magic."

Dumbledore nodded sagely. It was true. Once he was hit with something that he had thought was a Cruciatus but actually caused all the skin on his thighs to peel off and the bleeding flesh beneath to boil and burn for 9 months afterwards. It was certainly just as painful as the curse he had mistaken it for.

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After researching his non-magical options, he selected Lily's sister and her husband to care for the boy. They had a daughter and a son about his age too, which would be good for the Potter's son.

Placing the boy in a basket with a warm blanket, he quickly penned a note explaining that Lily and her husband had been brutally murdered and they were the only relatives left to take care of the boy. He had Pomona Sprout drop the baby off as she was the only one on his staff who didn't have strong negative or postive feelings for the late Potters. Who knew what would have happened if he had sent Rubeus for example?

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And so it happened that one Harry Potter was left on the frigid doorstep of his future family. The wind howled and the clouds broke, releasing torrents of freezing rain while lightning illuminated the ky and thunder shook the earth. The infant was thankfully only slightly damp thanks to the thick blanket, but it would have been enough to kill any other child.

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End Chapter One

Yes, I am aware that I am working on two other stories right now. But I missed my favorite fandom and my other stories are too light-hearted for me to insert the undertones of horror and _noir _that I so desperately crave. So here you go! Also, you guys can give me your opinions on who he should be paired with! But don't say Ron because I can't write him very well yet and I don't want to disappoint you guys with a story that sucks because I made you hate Ron. And This will be SLASH so no girls. Unless they are intresting enough to perk my attention.

Review with your choice!

Mara


	2. Chapter 2

Of Demons and Girls With Too Many Cats

CHAPTER 2 (the saga continues, dattebayoooo!! strikes Naruto pose that gets on everybody's nerves)

Albus Brian was at the site of what used to be the Potter's residence. The Aurors had owled him with the disturbing news of civilians sighting a man with the same description as James Potter wandering around the woods that surrounded Godric's Hollow. So here he was, without his morning coffee(and very upset about that 'minor' detail), at four in the morning in the freezing autumn wind and mud looking for someone they had presumed dead. They had a scan of the ashes that had been mintaken for James' remains and they had turned out to be some of his old clothes that had been used as a distraction during the battle with the Death Eaters.

He had almost sent someone to go fetch Harry, but his instincts held him back. Something moved out of the corner of his eye, and he turned his head quickly and caught sight of a haggard James emerging from the half-burnt trees. "James, my dear boy! Thank Merlin you're alive!" He waved a hand at his former pupil in a friendly manner, twinkling full-throttle. James made a strange gurgling noise and charged the now startled Headmaster. He managed to dodge just in time causing the younger man to go crashing into the mud.

The body wasn't moving and Albus began to become even more alarmed than before. "James...are you alright there? Are you ill?" James twitched and began to move slowly until he was sitting crosslegged in the filth. "I'm a ninja!" He chirped, looking sunnier than a bluebird in spring. He blinked. That had been unexpected and not a little unnerving. Rapid mood swings had always made him nervous as they reminded him frighteningly of his now dead mother when she went on one of her tirades regarding her son's sexuality. She was dreadfully upset about him being gay and his brother's unhealthy attraction to horned creatures as it took away any illusions of grandchildren she might have had for the future.

But back to the present. James was now giggling like a hufflepuff in love and randomly throwing hnadfulls of leaves and grass into the air and catching them in his mouth. Albus spent a few minutes staring before he deduced that James must have been hit with one torture curse too many and was now completely and utterly mad. Which was quite a pity, considering what a fabolous auror the man was. Raising his wand, Albus sent up the signal for the aurors to come assist him. With him leading the way, a stupefied James was brought with a procession of aurors to St. Mungos where they confirmed his fears and pronounced him quite mad and placed him into a secure ward for the mentally disturbed with strong magical prowess.

It was a very depressed Albus who flooed back to his office and it took Fawkes a good 2 hours to get him back out of his dump. The Potters had been very loyal and had never questioned his motives. He had lost 2 of his most valuable pawns and this would greatly slow down his plans to take over the Wizarding world without anybody noticing.

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Petunia Dursley prided herself on having a predictable and safe life. She had two darling children, both of whom resembled her loving husband, and so she'd left her disreptable(sp?) family behind her. Who wanted to be special when you could have a secure household and income?

Needless to say, the appearence of her horrid sister's freak child on her doorstep was not appreciated. After reading the incriminating note, she had torn it to tiny pieces and debated with herself over what to do with the nasty boy. She already had two children of her own, both of them quite young still. A third child, even one not spawned by her sister, simply would not do. However, those people had ways of making you do things and watching your every move without your knowledge. Who knows what could happen to her if she threw the kid in her dumpster like she wanted to? The thing was soaked and shivering as it was. Maybe a few more minutes outdoors would kill the thing? She padded over to the garden as sneakily as possible, thanking god that her neighbors were lazy and slept in late. She placed the surprsingly quiet baby in a freezing puddle right next to a bush that would cover the sight of a basket in her yard. Hurrying inside, she proceeded to make breakfast for her husband and children. As her hands were kept busy cleaning up after her children and feeding them a healthy 8 meals, the baby was forgotten.

That is, until Vernon came home from work, the basket in one hand. He looked puzzled and muttered to himself as he hung his jacket in the hall closet. "Petunia, my dear, did you know that someone has left a baby in a basket in our yard?"

She forced herself to look confused and shake her head innocently. "No I didn't. Is it a boy or a girl?"

"Uh, not sure yet. The clothes are for lads though, so I'm assuming it's a boy."

"Well, let me make sure he's alive. Who knows how long he was out there." Petunia tried not to smirk, being very sure that the insufferable child was already dead considering that it'd been raining again and cold enough to freeze the puddles. Pulling back the blanket, she was shocked to see a pair of unnaturally bright green eyes smiling up at her. "Aww, isn't he just precious? I've never seen a baby so small..." She blinked. Her husband thought this...this creature was precious? Come to think of it, he was rather on the adorable side. He smiled a baby smile and made a grab for her dangling necklace of pearls. She attempted to pull back but his grip tightened and the beads broke free from the thread holding them togther. Her wedding present scattered around the floor, rolling into crevasses and through the heating grates. Vernon had gone purple in the face and he lifted the baby in the air, looking murderous. He was about to fling the hapless child out the window when Petunia remembered the freaky powers his kind had. "No! Don't kill the child!" Vernon stared at her, looking shocked that she had stood up to him. "We could be arrested for infanticide, thrown in jail! Think of our children. Let's just keep the little brute as a legal servant or something so we can get some use out of him while getting tax cuts for charity."

At the mention of 'tax cuts', Vernon's eyes lit up and he looked at the child with new comprehension on his features. "Of course! Why didn't I think of that?"

"You were too busy protecting me..." Petunia sidled up to him with a flirty smile on her face. "And I think you should be rewarded for being so brave." She removed his tie and he seemed to get the idea. Swinging her up into his meaty arms, he carried her upstairs to their bedroom, being careful not to wake their sleeping children in their respective bedrooms.

Young Harry was left lying on the floor of the living room, eyes scanning his new, warmer surroundings.

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Three years had passed since then and the Dursleys had lived true to their word. Harry now tended the garden, cooked all the meals except dinner, and maintained a high level of working cleanliness regarding the entire household. If he was particularly good, he was rewarded with a second meal.

He was currently scrubbing the tile floor of their kitchen while he cooked lunch. His stomach growled and he resolved to get himself some more herbs from the garden when he was done in the kitchen. Sarah Rose chose that moment to saunter into the kitchen, or as well as a grossly overweight 6 year old could saunter. She paused to sneer at Harry before continuing out the screen door into the sunny back yard. She was going over to her friend Allison's for a tea party before lunch. Sometimes Harry would wish he had friends, then he would push the desire away before it took root. Wishing for things he couldn't have only made him upset so why bother thinking about it? He started daydreaming about people on flying broomsticks instead.

Finshing the floor, he put his supplies away and set the table for 5. He was always sent to his cupboard when guests came over so he figured he might as well get comfortable. Curling up on his bed of couch cushions, he drifted off to sleep.

Lately he had started sneaking out at night to go to the park. It wasn't as fun in the dark all by himself, but it was better than being home. And he had seen a little girl hiding behind a tree watching him last time so maybe if he got enough sleep he'd be able to stay out longer this time and persuade her to talk to him. A bubble of hope rose in his chest. Maybe she would be his friend. The idea of having all of his own made him smile even in his sleep and curl tighter around the old curtains he used as blankets.

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It was 3 o'clock in the morning and Harry idly swung back and forth on his swing, wondering if the girl would show up or not. But he heard the crunching of dead leaves and sure enough a pale face peeked at him from behind the only birch tree in the park. It was Harry's favorite because of the beautful way the bark shone in the moonlight. The girl had slipped out from behind the tree and shyly walked over to him until she was sitting in the swing next to him. The moon shone particularly bright and he saw that she was very pale and looked like she was sick or something. Her hair was as black as his and was cut in a bob that curled everywhere making her look like she had a bird's nest for hair. He finally recognized her when he saw the huge dark circles under her eyes.

He had seen some of the older boys who were in Primary school picking on her. They called her racoon because of her eyes and she had laughed and laughed. They'd left her alone after that, saying she was crazy and they didn't want to be near no crazy person. Harry had tried acting crazy the next time Dudley had picked on him and it'd worked perfectly.

She smiled at him without showing her teeth. He smiled back and quietly said, "Hullo, I'm Harry. What's your name?"

"M-Mariel. But nobody calls me that. My common name is Racoon, and I like it better than Mariel anyways."

"'kay. Why are you out here so late?"

"Why are _you _out here so late?"

"Hey! I asked you first!"

"And I asked you second!"

"But ladies go first."

"I'm not a lady, I'm a girl!"

"Well, you look pretty enough to be a lady, so there."

Racoon blushed and smiled. "Okay, my daddy brought home one of his girlfriends because mommy is spending the weekend with her friends. They were getting too loud so I left." She shrugged "I don't like being around when he starts taking off their clothes."

Harry nodded. "I'm out because I have too many chores to do at daytime and don't have time to play after I'm finished."

"Do you come every night?"

"Yep! I haven't seen you before though. When do you come out?"

"Well, usually only if Daddy and Mommy start screaming at each other and throwing stuff. Or if daddy has a girlfriend at the house. When they're quiet, I just read in bed or play with my dollies."

"But when do you sleep?"

"I don't sleep. Doctor says I'm an in-insong-gianc-ahh! I can't say it!" ( she's trying to say 'insomniac', by the way)

Harry laughed and grinned at her. "So, do the dark circles come from not sleeping?" She nodded.

"I'll come out at night and play with you instead if you want. I don't have any friends because they say I look funny."

"Why? You look fine to me."

"Thanks!"

And she kept her word, showing up without fail every night at the park to play with him. They would play either at the park, the graveyard, or the church in winter when it got too cold. Thank god the catholics kept their doors open 24/7. Unless there was a holiday, in which case they would go to a restuarant that was open all the time or a petrol station. Once, on Christmas Eve, they'd sneaked onto a train and went downtown to London and wandered around with the beggers. People gave them lots of money and candy because they were "Just so adorable!" in their little coats and boots. They had been 6 at that time.

Now, aged 7, they were doing it again. They'd decided to make going downtown their special Christmas treat to do together. It's not like their families noticed they were gone or anything, being far too busy running around to christmas parties and family gatherings. Not to mention the last minute shopping.

Racoon was sucking on a lolly while Harry nursed a coffee. Once again they'd been treated by adoring adults to their treat of choice. Although Harry's request for coffee had garnered a strange look, his wish to try it had been granted. And he was definintly(sp?) loving it. His friend seemed to have a strong liking for lollipops in almost any flavor and would often have two unwrapped at a time and alternate between the two.

They frequently stopped in shops that were open late, their thin coats not doing much to keep out the freezing wind and snow. Making friends with everybody they saw, they were quite popular until about 5 in the morning and they said goodbye to their tipsy friends after hugging all of them and wishing them a happy christmas, and caught the early bus home. Mariel chose to come stay with him in his cupboard and catch some shut-eye. The Durselys didn't even notice the sound of the cupboard closing after they'd crawled in, too distracted opening present. Also known as tearing anything that looked like wrapping paper.

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Harry sat next to Racoon in History, all the other students giving them a wide berth thanks to Dudley's lies. They didn't mind, the other children looked boring and unitelligent anyways.

For some reason, Mariel had decided to wear a hat that looked like a duck head to school and the teacher kept pausing to stare at it before shaking his head and continuing his lecture. Harry was trying very hard not to laugh at the look on the teacher's face. It felt like they'd been sitting there forever when the suddenly rang, signaling the end of classes.

They were descending the steps, Mariel sucking on a lolly, when Dudley and his miniture gang of thugs blicked their path, doing their darnedest to sneer menacingly. They recieved a blank stare from Harry while Racoon began to hum to herself, working the lolly to the fullest of her abilities.

"Well, if it isn't the freaks."

"Well, if it isn't the fat club." Harry retorted, voice monotone. He had learned that the less emotion you showed, the more frightened people were of you. Apparently, knowing that your opponent also has thoughts and feelings can stimulate the unconcious and therefore breed delusions of equality. But the utter blankness that Harry now displayed towards everyone but Racoon was far more frightening than anything the playground bullies had encountered before.

"At least I'm not a stick like you! Mum says you won't ever be a strong healthy man like me!" Dudley cried, looking as close to a ball of blubber as Harry had ever seen.

"And who's fault is that? Oh wait, your mommy's!" Harry smirked at his cousin before walking around them, Mariel still humming (although she was working on a new candy now).

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End ch. 2

Yes, I am aware that this is kind of random right now. However, you must keep in mind that this is hardly my newest idea and so has had time to ferment and become alchoholic, thus inducing the giddiness I am sure some of you are now feeling. Review if you want more.

Oh, and the title will make sense later. Keep in mind that this is slash, so Mariel will not become Harry's girlfriend nor is she a witch so she will not be going to Hogwarts with him. Mariel is a self-portrait, if you will. So her character is based on mine, allowing my stalkers to learn vital info on my personality and habits. As well as clothing.


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

Harry felt like screaming. In his hands he held Racoon's arm and it was covered in bruises with a long slash leading from palm to elbow that was yellow with infection. Being summer, his relatives had dumped him with Ms. Figg and headed to the Bahamas thanks to a raise Vernon's boss had given him. Harry found it impossible to sneak away thanks to her being a light sleeper and her entire house consisting of creaks. Not to mention the cats, who seemed to be entirely too affectionate to the point where they would swarm and follow him wherever he went. And that greatly increased the amount of creaking.

Even the ceiling creaked, which Harry found very creepy. He wouldn't put it past the woman to have a couple dead bodies up there. He had been sitting in the back yard, very bored and unable to do anything because Ms. Figg wouldn't let him read her books, when a strange rustling in the bushes had alerted his attention to the prescence of his friend. She looked even sicker than usual and was walking funny. "H-Harry! Can you come over here?" She was hiding in the shadow of one of the pine trees that covered Ms. Figg's yard. She was wearing an enormous red sweater over her clothes with only her lace-up boots sticking out. When he came over next to her she removed the sweater. Her white sundress was stained with blood from top to bottom interspersed with rips and dirt. There were bits of shattered glass in her hair that looked like they'd come from a shattered plate. Tears tracked down her cheeks and she offered the very arm he was now holding in his hand.

"Can you fix me?" She whispered, glancing furtively around. "Daddy says he'll kill me if I tell mummy or go to a hospital."

Harry nodded and whispered back, "It hurts so badly because it is infected. We have to clean it first which will hurt really bad but it's the only way to make it go away." Racoon hesitated before nodding. Thankfully Ms. Figg was taking a nap at the moment so they were able to get to bathroom without incident. He grabbed one of Dudley's biggest shirts along the way, the one that looked like a dress on him. Carefully guiding her into the tub, he turned on the tap to wash the grime off of her so he could see how bad the damage. She hissed like a cat, startling a small feline that had been sleeping on the toilet seat. It mewed at them before going back to sleep. Mariel giggled a bit, turning her face away when Harry started digging the yellow goop out of her arm. It hurt like hell but she bit her lip so she wouldn't wake Harry's babysitter. He squeezed the skin around the wound to worm out as much as he could at the time. When his fingers started to get sore, he used his palm to rub the dirt and flecks of glass from her knees and calves. Realizing that she was being really quiet, he looked up and saw that she had passed out. The blood had started pouring out her arm and though a couple of cuts that had been caused by a vase on her stomach. He sighed before gently pulling her dress up over her head. Her undershirt was soaked and he wrinkled his nose as he pushed it up to clean the cuts on her torso. They weren't very deep but there were a lot of them and more were opening as he moved her around. He winced in sympathy when her hair moved showing a cut on her neck that had a little bit of glass in it.

Wetting a rag, he began to dab at the cut on her neck, the fabric causing the glass to stick to it. He shook it out the window and rinsed all the glass out of it before going back to work. When his hands were wrinkly and he'd cleaned all the cuts except the infected one, he picked all the glass out of her hair. Turning on the bath taps, he stoppered the drain and dug in the cabinents for some healing salts. Finding the appropiate one for exhaustion, he scattered a bit in the water before getting to work washing her hair. Ms. Figg knocked on the door and Harry froze. "Harry? Are you in there, child?"

"Y-yeah! Don't come in, though. I was playing in the dirt and got really dirty. Since I don't want to make messes in your house, I'm cleaning it off. Is that alright?"

"Of course it is, dear! Take as long as you want. I'll just make dinner for us." He listened until he heard her creak her way all the way down the stairs and into the kitchen. There had been time sin the past when he'd thought she was gone but she was actually spying on him for some reason or other.

Setting back to work, he finished washing her hair and made sure to remove all the soap before towel-drying it. Since that didn't work as well on her now-long hair, he wrapped the towel around her head to prevent it from getting in the cuts that were just starting to scab over. Draining the tub, he wrapped her in a towel without removing her bloody underwear. He didn't want to make her feel uncomfortable or anything, and he hated it when people looked at him when he wasn't dressed so he figured she would too.

Harry once again began digging out the last vestiges of puss that had risen to the top while he'd been otherwise occupied. When it was completely clean, the blood started welling up in spurts, getting blood on his shirt. Thankfully it was red already with brown grease stains. Since blood turns kinda brownish when it is dry, he didn't worry about it. Instead, he took some bandages from the first aid kit and wrapped them tightly around her arm until the blood stopped leaking through. He smiled at his handiwork before working on the neck injury. When that was done, he applied bandages to the deeper cuts littering her stomach, briefly moving the towel to reach them. He dried her legs off and put a band-aid on a small but deep cut on her left knee. Her underwear was white by now and drying rapidly because it was so thin. He pulled the blinds back and dragged his friend over until she was lying in the patch of sunlight. He covered her eyes with the towel so they wouldn't hurt and began cleaning up the mess they'd made in the bathroom. Then he washed her dress and spot-cleaned the enormous sweater because it didn't have a whole lot of blood on it. Hanging them on the shower curtain rod, he washed the blood off if himself while waiting for them to dry. He glanced over at his friend when he was done drying himself off ad noticed she was dry as well and curled into a little ball watching him. He smiled at her and handed her Dudley's shirt to wear as a dress. He turned around while she pulled it on and buttoned it up. She then patted the sweater to test before pulling that on over the shirt. Harry turned back around and handed her her boots which she pulled on, grateful they were free if dirt.

He fluffed her hair affectionately and she purred, pulling a candy of of seemingly nowhere and popping it in his mouth as a thank you. He then put her still-damp dress in a plastic bag meant for trash and handed it to her. She whispered, "Thank you so much, Harry. Feel free to come bother me next time you get hurt." He nodded and replied, "Don't worry, I will. Be careful and avoid your dad until its safe."

They both knew that staying safe meant hiding out at the park, church and petrol station. Or even downtown with some of their shaddier friends who hung around in bars or closed nightclubs all day.

She hugged him, climbed out the window and down the trellis, and then waved before disappering out the back gate.

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Narcissa Malfoy was in shock. She'd been in shock for a while, actually. Two months to be exact, if you cared about such things. Two months after she'd been delivered a large package containing her oldest daughter's dead body. A body that was revealed to have been raped repeatedly before strangled when an autopsy was performed on it. Narcissa hadn't shed one tear, she couldn't. That such a thing had been done to her daughter was beyond her comprehension. They were Malfoys! Untouchable by the masses and common people over whom they pseudo-ruled. The note her husband had noticed lying in the folds of paper hadn't helped her paranoia for her remaining 3 offspring. It was stamped with the Dark Mark and outlined in no uncertain terms that the same fate would befall their other children should Lucius dare to defy the Dark Lord once more.

And so it came that her husband returned one night with a tatoo emblazoned on his left forearm. She had cried then. She cried almost every day now, wondering what would become of them should the Dark Lord be defeated. What would happen to their children? She was well aware that their fortune would be seized by the Ministry and used to fund anti-werewolf decrees or whatever agenda they were currently pushing.

Her oldest, Julius, was handling it the worst. He moped around the house and frequented his little sister's room, carefully touching her favorite posessions. Draco, her second son, had shown no sign of grief other than an increased amount of time on his studies, eliminating most of his play time. And her darling Sophie was too young to know what was going on, being only 14 months old.

Needing some time to relax, she owled her sisters and asked if they wanted to go shopping for autumn dress robes. Bellatrix declined as her twins had once again proven that the Black genius could be used for destructive purposes. She had gotten pregnant two years before Narcissa, making her oldest two, Georg and Johann, 10 years old. Her youngest son, Stuart was the same age her Colette had been before her premature death.

Andromeda did show up, scowling teenaged daughter in tow. Why her niece couldn't be happy at least sometimes was a mystery to Narcissa. She embraced her nontheless, doing her best to smile brightly at the 4th year. It was then that she noticed that her other niece, Isadora was missing. Panic began to fill her eyes and she snapped her head over to look at her sister. "Andromeda, where is Isadora? Is she alright? Was she hurt, or worse, killed by them?"

"What?! Oh! No, Isadora just has dance lessons this afternoon and was unable to reschedule them. She made this for you, though. There's also one for Trixie that I'll give to her when I stop by after we go shopping." Narcissa nodded, very relieved. Their family didn't need anymore tragedies and she didn't know what she'd do if one of her sister's was also victimized by that bastard who called himself a Dark Lord.

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End ch 3

okay, i am very prolific and i think it shows. I don't belive that the purebloods would have only had 1 kid each. its just my opinion, you don't have to agree but keep in mind that random people will be paired with other random people for the sake of making babies. Like in real life! huge sparkly smile

Please review!


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Character death ahead, along with abuse and a suicide. Fun.

CHAPTER 4

Harry knew what a dead body looked like. He knew what his friend looked like. Unfortunately, the corpse he was now looking at was his darling companion of the past 3 years. The beatings had grown progressively when her dad had been fired and forced to work at a factory as a grunt who greased the machines. His wife left him the day after he'd been let go after having a screaming match with his boss about coming to work intoxicated, saying that she was going to live with a dentist she'd been sleeping around with.

Marcus Nightstalker had become something frightning after that event. He would start drinking immediately(sp?) when he came home, if he came home at all. Sometimes his girlfriends would show up at the house, looking for him and Racoon would have to explain that he wasn't around and she didn't know when he'd be back. Harry had started coming over to her house in order to check up on her. There were times when she only had a few small bruises and there were instances when she couldn't talk, much less move. She'd stopped eating regular meals and now only ate the equivalent of half a carrot a day, at the most. But she did drink lots of juice.

So he really shouldn;t be too surprised to see her lying on the floor of her bedroom, a converted closet, actually, surrounded by a huge puddle of red liquid that could only be blood. The source was revealed to be several deep cuts in her vital organs and a head wound that looked like it'd been caused by having her head repeatedly bashed into the floor, if the cracks in the hardwood were anything to go by. Harry had already thrown up twice and was currently trying not to dry-heave at the sight if his only friend lying there, dead.

Twins tracks of drying tears were making his face itch but he ignored the unpleasant sensation, not even sure if he could even move from his slumped position on the soaked rug that they'd made from old rags and some thread they'd managed to buy from a street-vendor a few months back. The stains were refreshed when he remembered all the things they'd done togther, made togther, leanred together. Now he didn't have anyone to help back him up against their peers, keep him company while he worked, or support and provide comfort to. Hell, he didn't even know what he was living for anymore. His relatives were unbearable, everybody besides her and the occaisonal low-life hated him. If nobody wanted you around and you didn't want to be around, wasn't it just better to die?

It was with this in mind that he picked himself up and entered the bathroom. He climbed onto the counter and opened the medicine cabinet, searching for something that could make him go away. If he was lucky, God would show mercy and let him into Heaven for a few moments to say goodbye to her before he descended into Hell. It was worth a try, at least. His eyes caught sight of a razor blade and a jar of aspirin. He'd once seen his Aunt watching a movie on the telly that showed a girl comitting suicide by swallowing an entire jar of aspirin. But he knew that if people found you in time, they could pump them out of your stomach and heal you so you stayed alive. So he grabbed the razor blade as well just to make absolutely sure that he died all the way.

Climbing into the bathtub, he carefully swallowed pill after pill until he began to feel very fuzzy and the room began spinning. Lifting the razor with shaking fingers, he used it to slice clear across his major veins in his wrists and even did some slicing around his neck before he couldn't get his fingers to hold the knife anymore. It clattered to the floor, the small sound echoing in his suddenly hyper-sensitive ears. His arms had lost all sensation but he continued to hear every drop of blood making contact with the floor. He slumped, boneless, in his porclelain prison, eyes barely distinguising his tile surroundings. The bathroom was entirely white, and was only sullied by his blood. He admired the sight of his lifeforce staining the tub and sliding slowly down the drain. His pants were soaked from sitting in it and the floor was also almost completely covered by now.

The sharp, coppery smell no longer reached him, along with any sensation in his body. His brain was either refusing to acknowledge the pain or his nerves had joined the suicide. A few moments later he could no longer hear anything, not the rushing of cars by the window nor the rumbling of the train and certainly not the slow trickle of his blood dutifully filing down the drain. Then the taste of his blood in his mouth was also gone and everything went black. _So this is dying... _was his last thought while still in this world.

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When he regained awareness, he found himself lying in a barren field that smelt of charred flesh and old blood. The grass beneath him was long-dead and still smoking in some places, thankfully none of them near him. But maybe things like fire could no longer hurt him, being dead and all. His musings were interupted by a large green snake slithering over to him and crawling onto his stomach. Yellow eyes surveyed him, shining brighter than was natural to any creature on earth. Seemingly satisfied with its inspection, it crawled off of him and transformed into a tall man with what appeared to be broken wings sprouting out of his back. From what he'd learned at the Catholic Church, he was looking at a Demon, or Fallen Angel. The priests had been wrong when they'd described them as disgusting beasts, though. The snake had been quite beautiful and so was his human-like form. "I am Mammon. Welcome to the Underworld. Or at least, the part where the nasty people go."

"So I can't go to Heaven?" Harry asked mournfully. He had so wanted to say goodbye to Mariel. "Not even for a little tiny bit?"

The Demon shook his head. "I'm sorry, there is no way of you getting up there. The passages leading down here are one-way only, so to speak."

Then Harry remembered something the priests had said. "Hey, aren't all children automatically put in Heaven because they didn't know any better?"

Mammon smiled at him. It was disturbing. "Normally, yes. Until a soul is able to make an intelligent religion choice, they are counted as innocent and sent Above instead of Below. However, you found the loophole. Suicide is a definite way to end up down here. No matter your reasons, you are sent to Hell for daring to take your own life. Sorry, kid." He suddenly peered closely at him and asked, "Wait a second, how old _are _you?"

"Seven and a half." Harry replied promptly. The Demon stared at him before whistling under his breath. "The hell happened to you to make you want to die? I mean, we get teens all the time but you're not even in the double-digits yet. I think you are the youngest suicide yet, actually."

"Nobody wanted me, and my only friend died. She was the only reason that I wasn't killing myself."

The Demon gave him a surprisingly sympathetic look. "I'm sorry, kid. Maybe I can arrange for you to say goodbye to her somehow, if she's still in Purgatory, that is."

"Purgatory is that place in between, right?"

"Yeah. Sometimes these kids get stuck because they wanted to die too much. The desire to die before your time is a mortal sin that often slows down the process of ascension." Harry nodded to show he'd understood. "So maybe she is still there. if she is, I can send a spirit to say whatever you want to her. But you should come with me to the others while I find out." He offered a pale hand to the boy who accepted it and allowed himself to be pulled onto his feet.

Harry was led to a thin bridge made of crumbling stone that spanned a deep chasm. He could hear screams and the crackling of flames despite not being able to see anything due to the height. He heard Mammon chuckle sinisterely when the sounds spiked unexpectedly. "Looks like Lucifer sicced Satan and Diablos on them today." At Harry's look of terror he relaxed his features into a soothing smile and said, "Don't worry, that kind of punishment isn't meant for you. The Great Dragon tends to go easy on children, when we get them. Which ain't often."

"Great Dragon?" Harry asked curiously. From what he'd seen in fantasy books, he liked the giant fire-breathing lizards. "Do they have flames?"

Mammon laughed and replied, "The term 'Great Dragon' is kind of like referring to the Queen as 'Your Majesty' or the like. It's a title that is reserved for Lucifer himself. He is in charge of us, you see, since it was his brilliant idea to have us leave Heaven in the first place."

"Aren't you mad at him for getting you guys thrown down here?"

Mammon looked surprised before saying, "What? No! This is much better than what we had before, believe me."

"Is Heaven bad?" He asked, looking worried. He didn't want Mariel in a nasty place. She deserved better, after what she'd had to put up with while she was alive.

"Well, no. It's just not to my taste. Too many happy people, you know? Nice people who like their friends and don't want new ones. I didn't know any of the other Demons when I was in Heaven, you see. We only met each other because we all got chained to the bottom of a horrible fiery lake together for a couple hundred thousand years. This was before Earth, by the way."

Harry nodded absently. He was occupied with several gates that appeared to be carved into the rock face along the chasm. Pointing them out to his guide, he asked, "What are those?"

"Oh, those are the gates that lead back to the land of the living. They can only be opened if God wants you to go back, but that only happened once with his Son. So don't get your hopes up."

Harry smiled at him. "Don't worry, I think I'm gonna be just fine here."

"Well, if you can still say that after meeting the rest of us Deadly Sins, you'll have more guts than everybody else brought here unfortunate enough to meet all of us."

"Why is that?"

"Because most people may excuse certain sins but be absolutely terrified of others. No person is completely without morals and those are what cause so many people to end up here. They think they are choosing the lesser of two evils but accidentally choose the wrong one that inevitably lands 'em here. Seeing their life's mistakes in human form also tends to fill humans with the mad urge to run as far away as possible. Those ones are put in the fiery areas."

"What happens if you aren't frightened?"

"Such a possibilty can not exist. It goes against human nature."

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End Chapter 3

So, now you guys are getting a glimpse of the background that caused me to use such a strange title.

And yes, the Demons are evil. But they are also incredibly deceitful and persuasive creatures. Why else do you think there are so many evil people in the world?

All Demons and Angels used in this story are real and have visited me at one time or another. If you are bothered by that, stop reading this now because it will only get worse. On a lighter nite, please review and tell me if you like them.


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5

They crossed over the bridge into a tunnel that appeared to be made of roiling smoke with lightning sporadically flashing upwards(lightning actually comes out of the ground instead from above, shockingly) , howls of pain seeming to be synchronized with the weather. Mammon once again started with the creepy laugh while they walked deeper into the shadows. Harry was used to feeling comforted by the dark because it meant sneaking out and doing what he wanted, but this dark was very different. It reminded him of the dark that hung around graveyards on All Hallows Eve and Walpurgis Night. He huddled closer to the Demon's side, despite that probably being counter-productive to his paranoia. But it sufficed as a placebo, so it'd have to do. There wasn't much of a chance that there would be a nice person there to hold his hand, now would there?

While they were passing throught he tunnel, he allowed his hand to seek out that of the Demon guiding him. He was very surprised when it closed over his small hand and gave a gentle squeeze. He smiled up at him and was once again treated to the soothing smile from before. That smile seemed to make everything okay, like he could do anything he wanted and nobody could dare to tell him otherwise. Realizing what he was thinking, he acknowledged that the Demons must use this to make people all defiant, eventually making them succumb to sin.

Nontheless, he continued to hold his hand until they ended up in a cave-like room covered from top to bottom with carvings of Dragons occaisonally colored with what appeared to be fresh blood. Acting on instinct, he made himself as small as possible and half-hid behind an amused Mammon. It wasn't his fault that he was skittish about meeting the most powerful Demon to exist. Ever.

In the center of the room was a tall figure with his back turned to them. He appeared to be reading something old enough to be yellowed and dog-eared. Appearing to notice the presence of one of his minions, he turned and raised an eyebrow. Harry gasped when he caught sight of the book dangling from his pale fingers. It was the Holy Bible, the Living Word of God. Lucifer had noticed the small figure hiding behind his subject and was growing curious. Unlike his Creator, he couldn't read minds when in physical form so he couldn't tell if it was a dwarf or a child. They hadn't had a child in here in centuries! Putting his best smile on, he turned to the child and said, "Greetings, small one. Welcome to my domain, Hell."

The child sidled slowly out from behind his guide and revealed himself to male, about 5 or 6 years old. Lucifer started. This was far younger than the last child they'd gotten in here, currently the youngest inmate. "H-how old are you, boy?"

"Seven and a half."

He exchanged a look with Mammon before looking back to the child. "I'm sorry, but I can't keep you. The Laws that even I cannot defy have ordered that any child under the age of nine cannot be kept here. You are below the lowest age of comprehension and therefore belong to God."

Harry blinked. "Does this mean I can't say goodbye to my friend?"

"You have a friend here?"

"Um, no. She's either in Heaven or Purgatory. I'm dead because I had nowhere else to go and I miss her really bad."

"Well, a message could be sent if she hasn't died completely yet. Let me ask Uriel." He turned and walked down a corridor Harry hadn't noticed before. Coming back a moment later he smiled and asked, "What is your friend's name and age?"

"Mariel Nightstalker and she's my age."

He nodded and disappeared back down the corridor. While he was gone, Harry wondered how the Demons could see where they were going in the dark and if he would go to the fiery places in Hell when he was older. Or maybe he just wouldn't get any older? Before he could work his brain into knots, the Dragon had returned. "She isn't gone completely yet. But you have to tell me your message _right now _so I can tell him and he can tell her before she dies completely. Harry nodded and rapidly said, "I'm sorry you had to die like that and I miss you. I love you, -Harry."

Lucifer took a moment to memorize it before sprinting into the shadows. 5 minutes later he came back holding a small piece of black paper with green writing on it. "She managed to reply but is now safely being judged and sorted in the Heavenly Courts." Handing the paper to Harry, he gave a relieved smile to the boy before saying to Mammon, "I'm working on sending the kid back, since we can't take people this young."

"But doesn't that mean that we'll have to make contact with _them? _" He shared a disgusted look with his Superior. "Unfortunately, yes. We'll have to use basic Necromancy to get him back up there."

"But those Angels are so obnoxious!"

"Comparatively, they are the least so. At least they aren't pissing themselves at the sight of us."

"True, but still."

"Yeah." There was a pause during which both looked at Harry, who now huggin the note and trying not to cry. Both Demons shifted awkwardly. They left the tempting of children to the lowest-ranking Demons and were therefore unused to kids in general. Especially ones who cried while looking happy. "Um, you okay, kid?" Mammon asked, not wanting to know what kind of damgae innocent tears could do to them. Anything that was pure tended to be very painful for them, so they hoped that the kid wouldn't get clingy and hug one of them.

Harry nodded, giving a watery smile. "Yeah. She says she's okay now and will be safe now since her daddy won't be going to Heaven too. She also says thank you to you guys for helping her send me a message back."

Lucifer awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck, avoiding the kid's eyes. He wasn't used to compliments and feeling all fuzzy inside. Damn kids and their innocent souls. And big beautiful green eyes in this case. This kid was going to be hella pretty when he got older, he could tell.

"I-I'll just go summon those Angels, then." Mammon stuttered out, obviously also affected by the teary eyes. Lucifer scowled at his rapidly receding back. How dare he just leave him alone with the definition of adorable?! If he wasn't careful, he could end up doing something nice without it causing any sort of calamity to befall the unfortunate creature who happened to be on recieving end of his 'generosity'. Look at what happened to Merlin!

He resolutely tried to avoid looking the kid in the eye, but was forced to look down when a small hand tugged on his shirt-tail. "Mr. Lucifer, I have to go to the bathroom." His eyes widened. This was a first, considering that most people sent to Hell did not retain their human form and only held onto earthly habits if it could be used to torture them. There was no toilet in the entirety of Hell. Which was a problem.

"Umm...we don't have a toilet. We just have baths, but those don't have drains or anything."

"You don't have a bush or anything for me to go behind?"

"None with leaves, sorry."

"Well, that's okay. As long as you turn around." Lucifer nodded and led the kid 'outside'. The area was designed to recreate itself into a person's worst outdoor nightmare. There were multiple chambers that dealt with indoors, but only one for outside. When not in use, which was rarely, it assumed the appearence of a barren wasteland occaionally dotted with emancipated shrubs. And a couple dead trees. Harry immediately sprinted towards a tree and went behind it. While Lucifer stood there wondering how he'd become the kid's babysitter, Asmodeus came strolling up the hill towards them. Considering that he was in charge of lechery worldwide, Lucifer thought it prudent to prevent the collossal pervert from watching his charge relieve himself. Before he could do anything drastic, Harry came out from behind the tree and smiled at him. "Thank you!" For a few horrified seconds Lucifer thought the boy was going to hug him. However, his attention appeared to be on the new Demon currently giving him a once-over.

"Hello." Harry said, the silence getting to him.

"Oh! Forgive me, I appear to have forgotten my manners. I'm Asmodeus, and you are?"

"Harry Potter."

"Harry won't be staying long, Asmodeus. He is underage so he's going back to the Living." Lucifer interjected, sending a _Look _towards his fellow Demon. Thankfully, the brunette took the hint, although he didn't look too happy about it.

"Ah, that's too bad. Such a pretty face, you can expect to see me when you're older."

Harry looked confused. He knew what the Demon meant, but he was a boy. Boys don't like boys, do they? Deciding that the Demon must think he's a girl, he chose not to correct him as that would be very rude and being rude to Demons wasn't a good idea. He wasn't looking forward to being alive again, because he'd probably have to go to the hospital which would be expensive and he'd be punished by his uncle. Uncle Vernon was almost as bad as Mr. Nightstalker, but he beat Harry less often.

Just then Mammon returned, 5 figures that Harry guessed were Angels following him. They were wearing white clothing and all of them appeared to be male. They weren't like the Angels that he saw on signs wearing nightgowns. They did have really long hair, though.

The Angels had reached them and immdiately began drawing a circle on a patch of rock. They drew a star with 5 points in it and inscribed weird letters that Harry couldn't read around the edges. The tallest one came over to Harry and said, "I am Raphael, and my companions are Rael" A redhead nodded to them before continuing with the runes "Miraton" The only blond raised his head and smiled brightly at Harry. Harry liked him immediately "Tarmiel and Rex." Two identical Angels gave Harry smiles and began setting up black candles on the points of the star. Harry thought that their smiles looked fake, like they were pretending to be happy.

"Alright, Harry. Please stand in the center of the Seal so we can send you back to your body. It will be very painful, but take comfort that you will never have to experience such pain again afterwards. If you've anything to say to those of this Realm, do so, and quickly." Harry nodded and hugged first Mammon and then Lucifer. Both Demons seemed very shaken afterwards, something that Harry found odd. But before he could enter the circle, Asmodeus caught him around the waist and lifted him up so their faces were aligned. He pressed his lips to Harry's, nothing innocent about the kiss. Then he set Harry in the Circle. The boy seemed out of it while the Angels recited the appropiate sacred words. When Harry vanished in a cloud of toxic smoke, the Angels vanished the Circle and glared as one at the Demon of Lechery. Asmodeus only gave them the finger before stalking off into the distance. They turned their now-murderous glares on Lucifer. He raised his hands in a sign of peace.

"Hey, don't look at me. I've tried to curb his urges, and it only made it worse."

"Well, that is no excuse for him to be molesting innocent children!"

"Innocent?! Do you know how that kid ended up here?"

"No, but I'm sure it was just some kind of screw-up in the system."

"He commited suicide at the age of seven. That kid is screwed in the head, Rael, and you know it!" He took a calming breath before asking, "And why are you still here? This is my domain, and I don't like your kind coming here and making my prisoners happy."

"Fine, we're leaving. But keep your pervert off the child!" They floated for a few seconds before disappearing in a flash of blinding light.

Lucifer snorted. "Pfft, whatever. Prats..." He headed back to his base of operations, the occurence already fading from his mind. He had humans to corrupt, afterall. And it was a busy job, only being able to be in one place at a time.

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Harry woke up strapped to a stretcher in a white hospital room. His aunt was seated next to him, reading a fashion magazine and looking pissed. He noticed that his wrists were heavily bandaged along with his neck, and his stomach hurt like Hell. Speaking of Hell, had that Demon actually _kissed _him? Well, he was the Demon of Lechery, so he supposed it must be normal behaviour for him. But still, he was a boy and boys aren't supposed to kiss boys. Maybe that was why he got banished from Heaven? While he was lost in thought, his aunt had noticed his lucidity.

"Boy!" She hissed, startling him.

"Y-yes, aunt Petunia?" She sounded really angry, and he realized how expensive this must be, and what it was doing to her reputation around the neighborhood. He began to panic and one of the machines started making loud beeping noises. It might have been the one controlling his breathing, but he wasn't sure. He was too busy getting flashbacks of past beatings that he'd recieved for far less momentous mistakes. Oh God, he wanted to be dead again. Anywhere but here. Anywhere but here. Anywhere but here...

The mantra repeated over and over in his head when the nurses came rushing in and started hooking him up to more strange machines and doctors came in looking disturbed, puzzled, and generally very confused. His aunt was escorted from the room sometime during the mad rush of medical staff. But Harry was already slipping. The friendly shadows were back and he allowed himself to give into them. The last thing he heard was a male doctor saying, "No, stay with me, Harry. Stay with us, Harry! Stay awake, please!" His voice had grown increasingly panicked as he continued, not that Harry could hear him.

He seemed to be standing next to his body, observing the medics rushing around like ants. He could see his aunt peering at them through the glass of the door, looking horrified. He examined his body and noticed that it was taller than before, his hair hanging down to his shoulders in thick waves instead of being short and messy like before. He also wasn't breathing. The machines all showed a straight line. Time seemed to have stopped. None of the doctors were moving, frozen mid-movement. Then he laid down inside his body. Immidiately the machines starting up again and he could percieve the world from inside his body. He opened his eyes and smiled at the doctors. Now he knew what to do when he got home and Vernon 'expressed his frustrations' onto his body.

The doctors stopped and stared at him. "Hullo." He croaked, voice husky due to disuse and being completely parched. "W-water." A nurse snapped into motion and poured him a glass from the jar next to his bed. He gratefully accepted and swallowed every drop. When he trusted his voice again, he asked, "What happened?"

The doctors all looked at each other. "You don't remember?"

Harry shook his head and said, "All I remember is somebody shoving pills down my throat and cutting me a lot with a sharp thing. It hurt really bad and he put me in the bathtub, saying that he'd kill me if I moved or said anything."

The staff seemed to give a collective sigh of relief. Harry almost rolled his eyes. Small town hospitals always over-reacted to things that showed that people weren't completely happy with their suburban-paradise lives. "D-do you remember what the man looked like?" A random male nurse asked, trying to look comforting. The look was so fake Harry felt like puking.

"No, it was so dark I couldn't see anything." Harry did his best to look completely confused and as innocent as possible. He'd had lots of practice from being blamed by Dudley for stuff he hadn't done, and was now very convincing when he wanted to be.

"What were you doing away from home so late at night?"

Harry made his cheeks cooperate and managed to blush. "Well, my friend said it would be cool to take a walk at night so I took a nap after school and went to her house when I woke up. When I got there she was d-dead and..." He started crying, the tears anything but fake. His audience looked horrified. "What a terrible thing for such a young child to have seen..." One nurse said, seeming to be fighting back tears as well. A few other nurses sobbed and left the room, startling his aunt. Harry recovered his equilibrium and continued his half-true story. "And then the man was there and he did that stuff to me. I think I must have fainted or something because I don't remember anything up until now."

A new doctor entered the room just then, followed by one of the crying nurses from before. His eyes were steady and he carried himself with the ease of one who knew exactly what he was doing and how to do it well. "I have been informed that you claim to have not inflicted the injuries upon yourself, but were attacked. Is this information accurate?"

Harry poured as much honesty as possible into his eyes before meeting those of the doctor head-on. "Yes, it is. But I didn't see his face or anything, since it was dark. My friend's house doesn't have streetlamps around it so there wasn't even that to see by. I was going to go on a walk with her through the graveyard because we heard some of the older kids at school talking about it and wanted to try it. She was already...you know...when I got there. Then the guy hurt me and I passed out. I just woke up recently, sir, and am very tired. Am I allowed to sleep now?"

"In a moment, Mr. Potter. We found some other injuries on you that weren't recent. Some bruising and quite a few scars from injuries that we have no record of having been treated. Several of your ribs are improperly healed and restricting your breathing. You also have a few hairline cracks on your jaw and right knee. Care to explain?"

_Oh shit, either I'm screwed or my uncle is. _Harry restrained himself from having another panic attack. And he thought he had fixed his ribs! At least it explained why he wasn't able to run for as long anymore. "Well, there are bullies at school and I fall down a lot because I'm clumsy."

The doctor gave him a measuring look and Harry could tell he didn't believe him. Finally he spoke. "Alright, everybody out." When nobody moved, he barked "Now!" They scurried out of the cramped room in record time, the man's temper apparently something to be feared.

He moved to sit in the chair next to the bed. Harry eyed him cautiously, not knowing what to expect. He felt like crying, not used to having people interrogate him like this. He needed time to come up with convincing lies!

"Alright, I know that the school you attend only has students up to age 12. These injuries were inflicted by someone much older than 12. Now, have you been punished by your family for being bad? Are those where some of those bruises come from? It's okay, I won't tell anyone else. It will be a secret if you want." He smiled encouragingly at him and Harry saw that the man was genuine in his desire to help him, something almost non-exisitant these days.

"Yeah, the injuries are from my uncle. The ribs are from being hit with a rock by my cousin Dudley, though. But don't tell anyone! I'll get sent away to live with other people who could do even worse stuff to me!" His eyes were wide and his lip trembled slightly. He hoped to God that this worked.

The doctor looked very surprised. Usually it took forever to get abused children to 'fess up to their guardian's crimes. "And, did he do anything else? Did he touch you in ways that didn't hurt but made you uncomfortable?"

Harry's mind immediately went to the kiss he had recieved from Asmodeus. But his uncle hadn't done anything like that, so he said no. The doctor nodded and began writing stuff down on his clipboard. "I'm sorry, Harry, but it goes against my morals to let a child grow up in that kind of enviroment." Harry scowled at him but nodded. He'd been expecting that.

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When he was released from the hospital, he was sent to an orphanage to wait to be picked by a foster family. He'd been wheeled into his Uncle's trial and had testified against him. Thanks to that, his uncle was now serving the next 6 years in prison. His aunt was working as a secertary for Vernon's old boss. Harry personally believed that she was hired out of pity rather than any real skill. And so Mr. McKlintock could ogle her all he wanted, skinny women being to his liking.

Harry had not pressed charges against his aunt, having no real desire for vengence in the first place. The only reason his uncle was in prison was because the doctor, Bronislav Polski, had told him that doing so would help provide closure between him and his family. So here he was, standing on the doorstep of what would be his shelter for an indefinite amount of time. The building strongly resembled a prison. It was a rectangular structure made with gray bricks, the windows few and barred. The sidewalk leading up to it was cracked with dead weeds sprawled across it like corpses on a battlefield. He sneered disdainfully at them, gaining satisfaction out of crushing them with his boots. He'd noticed that he was more prone to agression since his return from the Underworld, and wondered if it had anything to do with hugging the Demons. While he contemplated this new theory, the social worker escorting him rang the bell. The man was short with mousy brown hair and zero backbone. Harry smirked when he remembered bullying the man into buying him coffee. The look of surprise on his face when he'd requested it had been priceless and Harry found himself smiling at the memory. The half-empty cup was warming his hands at the moment.

Wind blew through the barbed fence with ease, carrying the dead plants from last year into the air in short gusts. Spring this year was windier than usual, Harry noted. It also seeped through the holes in Harry's jeans and military-style jacket. The coat was actually Mariel's, but it looked like a boy's coat and it fit properly so he didn't care. He was also wearing her favorite scarf, the navy one with green and yellow stars. All in all, he looked as good as he could with his current wardrobe. All of his meager belongings were easily packed into it along with most of Mariel's stuff, besides her dolls and other girly stuff. He'd left that stuff, but taken everything else because the note he'd gotten from her said she wanted him to have her stuff because he meant the most to her in all the world.

The door opened, a teenaged boy standing in the doorway. His hair was straggly and blond, reaching to his waist. He looked them over before opening the door, revealing a crowd of equally dissheveld children looking at him curiously. Harry shifted, eyes unconciously scanning the area for exits. He hated being stared at, he hated his peers, and he hated meeting new people. He just _knew _he was going to be miserable here.

The teenager from before was talking to the socical worker, explaining that the Matron was currently sleeping thanks to a late night spent comforting a few new arrivals. He knew how to fill out the proper paperwork, though, and would be able to set Harry up in a room and everything. The social worker, Martin Harrison, readily agreed, seeming very happy to get away from the creepy coffee-drinking child he'd been in the car with all day. Abused children were always far more frightning than any of the other types he had to ferry around, attempting to get some poor fool to take them and keep them so that he never had to see the kids again.

While the social worker left the room, the youth leading the way, the kids continued their examination of him. Deciding that ignoring the problem might make it go away, he plopped down on the floor and stared at nothing while sipping his coffee very slowly in order to make it last longer. A four-year-old boy moved away from the rest and sat next to him. Glancing at them, Harry noticed that the kid was holding out a taffy. He looked the kid in the eye and raised an eyebrow. The boy laughed and pushed the taffy into his hand. Harry smiled and dared looking at the rest of the kids. Most of them were now going back to their business, although a good number were still in the entrance hall, reading or talking quietly with their friends. He smiled, happy that they'd stopped staring.

Mr. Harrison came back and nodded stiffly at Harry who gave him most evil smirk, making the man freeze and then practically run from the room. He laughed quietly to himself and handed a lolly to the nice kid who was currently leaning on him, looking perfectly at home. He just might like it here.

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End chapter 5

ch5 already! i coulda sworn i was gonna abandon this, but i think i just might keep it coming. I'm just having too much fun right now with this.


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6

The other kids said he was lucky, having a room with a window and all. Despite said window having bars on it and providing a view only of the concrete courtyard and barbed wire fence. Steven, the kid with the candy, stayed in the room next to his with 5 other boys the same age. Since all the rooms were the same size, roughly the size of a large closet, the amount of children staying in them decreased the older the children were. The kids 15 and up got their own rooms but still had to share the bathrooms with everybody else. Being seven years old, Harry was sharing with 3 other boys. Normally it would be 4, but the other kid, Ethan, had been adopted a week before.

His roomies consisted of William, a rambunctious boy who was currently jumping on his bed and having a shouted conversation with the 8 year old boys in the room next to them. The walls were so thin that you didn't even need to shout, but apparently William shouted for the heck of it. Harry already found him annoying, as it is very hard to read when somebody is jumping on your bed and screaming things that cannot be reprinted here as that would violate some people's perception of how perverted little boys can be. Next came Kyle, who appeared to be competing in rowdiness with Will, as he was currently running screaming up and down the halls, pissing off the girls.

And lastly, a so-far quiet boy named Leonard who had a headcold and was currently lying on his bunk with a pillow pulled tightly around his head to block out his noisy roomates. Harry sympathized completely and opened his trunk in order to dig out some medicine he'd gotten from Mariel's bathroom. He lightly tapped the boy on the shoulder, darting back a few seconds later when a fist came flying at where his head had just been. A head of touseld black hair emerged first, followed by angular asian features and intense black eyes. The eyes turned apologetic when he noticed that the boy currently sitting on his bunk wasn't one of his familiar room mates. "Eto, sorry about that. I thought you were Kyle coming to throw water in my face again." Harry looked horrified.

"But you're sick! Being cold makes it worse unless you've got a fever."

"I know, which is why I almost decked you. Sorry about that, by the way, I'm Leonard and its nice to meet you."

Harry graced him with a small smile and shook the proferred hand. "Harry Potter." Leonard smirked at him and accepted the medicine, swallowing it dry before seizing Harry about the waist and curling up next to him. Harry blinked owlishly at him, wondering if all the kids here randomly cuddled with near-strangers. Leonard just buried his face in Harry's fragile chest and sighed contentedly. Most of the kids here were very cuddly and enjoyed being held by people, as they were deprived of affection from adults. The teachers here were nuns who seemed to be contact-phobic and the Matron was a closet child-molester whom every orphan in their right mind avoided like the plague.

They eventually fell asleep, as most people do when they are safe, warm and comfortable. William and Kyle appeared to have gone elsewhere to make mischief, so they were undisturbed for quite a while.

--------

Harry slept all day and far into the night, waking up at the ungodly hour of 2 in the morning. Sitting up, he realized that he'd been moved to his own bunk, being the top bunk on the left. When there were 5 boys sleeping there, the fifth one would sleep on a pull-out bed between the bunks. The kid that they found most annoying would, of course, end up there, as it was too far away from the practically useless radiator to receive warmth and aligned with the draft that would come in from under the door.

From this, Harry deduced that he hadn't said anything offensive to his room mates yet. Realizing that he wasn't going to be able to sleep anymore that night, he crawled stealthily out of bed, slipping his feet into his boots along the way. Exploring his new home seemed like a good option right now, although he didn't know what kind of security measures they utilized just yet. He'd opened the door to the smallest crack possible while still allowing him to exit when a sleepy voice asked, "Can I come, Harry?" The brunette turned to see who it was and noticed Leonard moving silently out his bunk to join him by the door. 'I like to take walks at night, too." He confided before gently easing the door open wider to accommodate both of them. He followed his Asian friend down the hall, occasionally hearing giggles coming out of the girl's rooms. Raising an eyebrow at Leonard, he waited for an explanation. "The girls like to stay up late talking, most of the kids do, actually. Kyle and William just exhaust themselves all day though so we don't really do it in our room." Harry nodded, easing open the door at the end of the hallway. It led to a narrow staircase made of steel and concrete that descended out of Harry's sight. Glancing at his friend for confirmation, he received a nod and a smirk. Moving carefully so as to not create echoes, they continued downwards until they reached a door that said STAFF ONLY in ugly red letters. Harry was reminded of all the red that had poured out of him when he had wanted to die. This made him think of Hell and the strange Demons he'd met there. Asmodeus in particular stuck out in his mind. His lips tingled unexpectedly and he blushed bright red, intensely thankful that it was too dark for his friend to see it. The only source of light they currently had was the reflection of street lights from the barred windows placed evenly next to the staircase, which was really more of a very soft glow, barely allowing them to see each other. "Why have we stopped?" Leonard whispered a hint of worry in his voice. Harry almost shook his head to clear it, but decided not to actively make his companion question his sanity. Instead, he asked, "Hey, where does this door go?"

"No idea, I never bothered to look. Wanna check it out?"

Harry grinned evilly and nodded. Maybe he could prank the nuns while he was at it, because, from what he'd heard, they made drill sergeants look like hippies. Really nice hippies.

The next morning revealed several angry nuns with wisps of frizzy hair escaping from beneath their veils. Last night he'd had the brilliant idea to plait their hair into many tiny braids, something considered prideful and unholy. This meant that the Matron was snickering throughout breakfast and the other nuns were regarding their sisters with something akin to disgust.

Harry and Leonard just smiled into their breakfast and Leonard even informed one of the victimized nuns that she looked very pretty this morning. She had stared at him in horrified silence before fleeing the eating hall, much to the continued amusement of the obviously tipsy Matron.

---------------

Bronislav Polski sat at his desk, eyes reading but not comprehending the medical file he had pulled up regarding that abused child, Harry Potter. The charts revealed that the ribs had been received a week before the boy had been brought to the hospital, but appeared to have been improperly healed for several years. Many of the minor fractures were recent but old at the same time, something that just wasn't possible. He stood up and peered out his door to see how many people were still working in the area. His quick search revealed no one around waiting to speak with him, so he ducked back inside and crossed the room over to where his book shelves were. Removing what appeared to be a very old copy of Dickens's 'The Bloomsbury Christening', he opened it to reveal a compartment containing, for all intents and purposes, a small metal disk. At first glance, it appeared to be completely blank. However, by running you fingers over the surface, you could feel the imprints of tiny runes smaller than the human eye can see.

He breathed hotly on it, causing the disk to produce a soft red glow. He cursed and replaced it in the false book and removing an unusual stick, made from a wood strongly resembling yew. He quickly jotted down a note saying he'd gone home to sleep, picked up the stick and suddenly disappeared with a quiet _pop _noise.

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James Potter was an unhappy man. He had managed to deduce that he was in St. Mungo's before some busybody Healer had shoved some form of 'sedative' down his throat, thus preventing him from thinking coherently for about 4 months, after which he had had five blessed moments of an unmuddled mind before some newbie nurse had come rushing in with another of those damned potions. And they were _pink. _What the hell kind of potion is pink of all colors? The process had continued for the past 7 years and his patience was wearing thin, when he managed to recall that he had patience in the first place. Or how to move, for that manner. There were various magical devices around the room that appeared to be regulating and controlling his breathing, thus preventing him from dying. But he'd rather be dead than lying in this bed for all eternity, muscles having wasted away long ago; preventing any attempt to escape on his part should he muster the will to do so in the first place.

So he wasted away, forgotten in a secure ward of the English Wizarding hospital.

The world was told he was dead, not that there was anybody alive to care anymore.

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End ch.6

Sorry this took so long! I had some friends from out of town come stay with us and I got a new computer which took a while to set up, making sure my files were all intact. And yes, I know this is short but I figured that I had better post something before you guys started to feel neglected. Review and I'll write more!


	7. Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7

The blessed abate in battle that the Wizarding world had been given while Voldemort gathered his allies was officially over. A French auror-training facility was the first target, with a casualty rate of 76, with only 4 coming out of the attack with minor injuries. And even then the mental trauma was so critical that they might as well have been dead for all the good they were able to do. All of the surrounding villages were attacked the day after that, the death toll climbing ever higher as new horrors were committed every day until very little remained of the once-powerful French community, the few remaining survivors having reportedly disappeared into an underground cave system and not returned from it. It had been three months since anyone, Muggle or Magical, had seen a French Wizard.

But most people were a little more worried about the similar massacre in Sweden that followed the swift decimation of France. Greece followed next on the list, any Dark Creatures refusing to join the Dark Lord being slaughtered as well. Strangely, the Muggles were mostly left alone, being oblivious to the tragedies occurring practically in their own back yards.

The Dark Lord appeared to be targeting anyone who wouldn't join him, killing Dark and Light Wizards in equal measures. Although the Ministries of Magic steadily refused to comment or even acknowledge this, despite having had attacks upon their facilities by Wizards still calling themselves Light.

Finally, England was attacked on July 17th, a day that will be remembered for years afterwards in history as the day a great warrior was made and a great Evil was purged.

From eye-witness accounts, it has been deduced that You-Know-Who was killed at 2 o'clock in a skirmish taking place in the Ministry of Magic's entrance hall itself. Apparently, the Dark Lord had come to demand that the Minister surrender or have the country go up in flames. However, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore and what was later found to be a secret anti-Voldemort organization known as the Order of the Phoenix had been lying in wait for him, having several spies amongst the ranks who'd informed them of Voldemort's 'brilliant victory plan'.

The battle started at 7 in the morning, spells flying rapidly back and forth, slowly picking off the Death Eaters and Organization members. Soon only a few were still standing; Dumbledore and Voldemort locked in a duel that didn't look like it would end anytime before nightfall.

The few remaining warriors then battled each other until all of the Death Eaters were dead and the OOTP members were lying in exhausted or near-dead heaps on the unforgiving stone that paved the hall. Then Albus was tricked with a tri-spell incantation that left him in a paralyzed and vulnerable state. However, just as Voldemort was about to kill him, a cloaked figure appeared in the middle of the hall out of seemingly nowhere, wielding a silver scythe.

He chanted strange words in a language that, according to the international records, does not exist and sliced the Dark Lord in half with his deadly weapon. The body of the evil one vanished in a cloud of noxious smoke, leaving a 7-pointed star in his wake. The stranger than vanished as quickly as he'd come, leaving no sign that he'd been present. The witnesses who were questioned all died strange and freakish deaths shortly after their interviews were published in the various tabloids around the remains of the Wizarding world. Parties abounded, as did the drunken accident rate, but such depressing statistics were quickly brushed under the rug in favor of keeping the people's spirits high. The world had just been through a very long and very trying war and they wanted to relax before the next terrifying catastrophe occurred.

Although Sweden was recovering nicely, pureblood families who'd gone into hiding returning to their homeland greatly assisting in the rebuilding of the barren land, France remained abandoned with not a peep from the still-hiding Wizards.

-----

Harry was not happy. He officially hated the orphanage and everybody in it except for Leonard. Who had been adopted by a stuck-up Romanian couple looking for something charitable to put them into the good graces of the public.

They'd promised to write each other everyday, but the letter that was supposed to arrive with his new address never came. It had been two months since he'd last seen his friend and he was feeling very lonely, which was shocking considering his solitary nature. The Orphanage had classes everyday except Sunday, from 6 in the morning until 2 in the afternoon. They had 15 minutes for lunch at 11 o'clock, and then returned promptly to lessons. Harry found the books dry and superfluous, providing next to no new information for his starved mind, which made him become inclined to daydream the classes away. However, he made sure to keep half and ear on what they were learning that day so he could answer correctly should a nun notice his inattention and attempt to take out what he was convinced to be sexual frustration on him. But since he always answered correctly, they could find no fault in him and soon grew bored with trying to make him sit up straight and the like.

So he languished, mind drifting slowly away from the things of this world, lingering instead on his brief stint in Hell and what the other Demons were like. He was like a zombie, eyes no longer bright but dull and glazed. He no longer ate breakfast or dinner, instead electing to eat some wilted leaves of lettuce for lunch every day so that he didn't waste completely away. He also found sleeping to be beyond his interest at night, choosing to sneak outside and wander about the stone prison that the nurses dared to call a playground.

The still-warm summer wind ruffled his hair as it rattled through the chain-link fence topped with barbed wire, his tiny hands clutching the rings tightly enough for them to make shallow cuts in his palms that stung in a way that he found quickening. He allowed himself a smile for the kindly wind spirits that he imagined to control the work of nature currently whipping his pajamas about his frail frame. Pressing his forehead against the uneven surface the fence provided, he enjoyed the view of the sun ever so slowly brightening the sky. He knew he should go in soon, but he couldn't tear himself away from the beautiful sight of the giant disk creeping up into the sky. His eyes slipped closed and he sagged against the fence, the sweetness of the wind and the wonder of light being too much to bear in his current state.

Many times the thought of once again ending his life would come to mind, but be quickly discarded as he would just be sent back again. He silently urged himself to grow up faster and squeezed the fence tight one more time before padding silently across the court into the small maid's entrance that led to a closet which he would hide in until the nun's had woke everyone up.

Since there was one communal bathroom for all the boys to share, the teens would often shove the younger, smaller boys out so they could have the four showers first. The there would be a mad scramble to get themselves together before lunch was over and classes started. So Harry would take his shower at one in the morning and have a short nap while his hair dried before sneaking outside to admire the night creatures and play with the stray cats that came wandering through in the dead of night. The stars were also fascinating, so he would lie on his back in the middle of the courtyard with cats curled around him for warmth. He vowed that one day, when he got out of the hellhole known as the orphanage, he would study the stars until he knew everything there was to know.

On rainy nights (there were a lot of those) or when it was too cold, he would sit in a tiny shed amongst prickly brooms and sharp gardening tools that poked him and watch the rain fall or just curl up in thick sweaters and an old wool blanket that the nuns considered too full of holes to be kept anymore and had dumped into the garbage, where it'd been rescued by Harry.

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It was currently lunch time, and Harry was standing in the alley behind the Orphanage, munching on his allotted 3 leaves of green goodness while his cat friends devoured his meatloaf and potatoes. Picking the plate up when they were done, he petted each of them behind the ears before slinking back inside and placing his dish in the kitchen for the maids to deal with. He then wandered down the hall at a leisurely pace; reaching the appropriate classroom 5 minutes early (he was a fast eater), he crawled over the other desk to reach his usual spot in the far back corner of the scummy classroom. 4 minutes later a herd of children of varying ages rushed in and dove into the nearest seat before hastily arranging themselves to look presentable for the teacher.

The green eyed boy slouched lower in his seat and smirked at his peers. He wouldn't miss their noisy chatter and messes when he escaped from here. Unfortunately, the people who came there to adopt were always looking for the same type: happy, bright, and talkative. Harry was the only quiet person there, so he would either be adopted quickly by somebody who hated noise, or left to rot his brain matter until he turned 18. Upon which the Matron would kick you and any belongings you might have retained into the street and expect you to find a way to support yourself.

Overall, his future didn't look too bright. And nobody had even noticed his 8th birthday.

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End Chapter 7

I am very tired right now, so I will keep this short. If anybody thinks that I am being to bare-bones about something or have any requests for a character feature, let me know and I'll see what I can do.

Review or I won't update! (feel my subtleness!)

Oh, can anyone guess who the Scythe Dude is? And I mean his official name, people. If you figure it out, I'll give you a giant muffin with child!harry on top in frosting.

You know you want it…


	8. Chapter 8

CHAPTER 8

The frightful-looking child Dr. Bronislav Polski discovered when he went to visit Harry at the Orphanage what not expected. Especially when said child was revealed to be Harry himself. The boy was currently eyeing him suspiciously through dull green eyes ringed with so many dark circles that he resembled a raccoon. Then a smirk began to play over his splitting lips and he said, "Now I remember you. You're that doctor who convinced me to get my uncle convicted. How's prison treating him, by the way?"

He spoke with none of the usual playfulness that children displayed, voice sounding tomb-like and almost seemed to echo out of his thin throat. Bronislav snapped out of it and replied, "I'm not sure, as I didn't think it my business to ask. But I can find out, if you like." Harry shook his head 'no'. "Don't bother, its not important. The only thing I really want right now is to get out of here."

"Are they treating you poorly?" He leaped at the chance that the child's physical state might not be self-inflicted, but was disappointed by Harry's answer.

"No, they just ignore me. This suits me just fine, really, since I don't like people anyways. The cats keep me company when I do what it, though."

"Cats?" Did the boy refer to people as animals? A most unusual habit, that. He almost took out his notepad to take notes on what the boy was saying so he could psychologically profile him later. If only he would show some emotion, such frigidity being unheard of for children.

"The strays that hang around here because of the food I bring them. I feed them and keep them warm and they make me happy. It's a very basic relationship, really. But at least they're intelligent creatures unlike the other _imbeciles _staying here who claim to be human beings. Tell me, doctor, are all humans this ridiculous or does it go away with age?"

The doctor blinked. This was…unexpected. The boy was obviously far more intelligent than people gave him credit for and was wasting away an institution like this one. Either that or he had an unrealistically large vocabulary and ego. He doubted it was the latter, the strut all truly arrogant people use being painfully absent, replaced by a silent shuffle of feet and slumped shoulders. Rather like a bored teenager, only leaning more in the direction of a mental patient. He hoped to God that the boy wasn't crazy, as that would be too much for him to handle. Being a practitioner of Muggle medicine, he was used to doing things usually found only in horror movies designed to make the masses nauseous, but he drew the line at child suicide, insanity, and who knows what else was wrong with the kid.

His Healer side made up its mind and over-powered his logic, making him kneel down to be eye-to-eye with the boy. "Would you hate me if I adopted you?"

"Only if you make me go to school. But besides that, you can adopt me and force medicine down my throat all you want." Was the strange reply, the eyes seeming to crackle and allow bits of vibrant green in to bring life back to his face.

"W-why don't you want to go to school? Don't you like to learn new things?" Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. He hated idiotic children with no desire to better themselves.

"On the contrary, I believe that going to school would only instill a herd mentality that would eventually cause me to abhor knowledge, favoring the thoughtless pursuits so many seem to find conducive uses for their time."

"How do you wish to receive your education, then?" At least the boy wanted to learn.

"Tutors or self-education, as that is what I did before I was brought here anyway."

"Well, why can't you do that here?" He asked, genuinely curious. The boy seemed to be very independent and would therefore have no qualms seeking out information for himself should he so desire.

"They only have children's books and textbooks for the older years. I've already read and aced all of them. I need new information or I'll lose what I've got."

And so, at 3:45 P.M., one Harry Potter walked out the gates of Leonia orphanage, his new guardian carrying his heavy trunk.

There were four cats being smuggled in his bulky coat.

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End Chapter 8

Yeah, it's short. But it's an update so be happy. And nobody has figured out who Scythe Dude is yet. Guess I'll have to eat this muffin myself within the next week if still nobody figures out who he is. Extra points if you can figure out whose side he's on.


	9. Chapter 9

CHAPTER 9

For all of the advantages and advancements the Magical world had made, sexual freedom was one issue that had not been advanced or even discussed. If you were a member of a Pureblood family and discovered to be homosexual, your family would kill the same as they would a squib. But if they were extra merciful, they would only declare you dead and privately banish you from the country. And take away your inheritance.

The latter situation is what was done to the Black brothers, Sirius and Regulus. Had their parents known that their love was for each other, they would never have been so lenient. And even then, their lives were spared only on account of a very angry and very pregnant Andromeda Tonks bullying them into letting them live. Or else face the wrath of a hormonal and very angry redhead.

So here they were in a freezing hotel room in Siberia, Russia. Although they were keeping each other _very _warm.

--- (Yes, I'm very evil for depriving you of a perfectly good lemon) ---

The doctor's apartment wasn't large and it wasn't small. It had an open kitchen, one bathroom, two bedrooms (one of which had been used as an office but was now being redone as Harry's bedroom), and a balcony. Harry liked his room; it had stacks of books practically covering the floor, a closet, and a soft bed. But the green walls were the best part. True, it didn't have a window, but the apartment had a balcony so he didn't mind.

Bronislav had taken one of his many unused sick days and was lounging on the couch in sweatpants with Harry curled into his lap, head resting on his chest while he listened to his heartbeat. The brunette was not used to being held but it felt very nice so he decided to take advantage of it when it was offered. He refused to ask for anything unnecessary as that would encourage brain patterns to latch onto getting whatever caught his fancy. He'd seen what happened to previously-spoilt children when they came to the Orphanage. They went through something very much like withdrawal and were generally assholes to everyone and anyone.

So he petted his guardian's hair as payment, something he'd learned the man liked. His eyes started to drift closed and he blinked sluggishly several times in an effort to resist the feeling of security but failed, as his lids sealed over his eyes and he fell into a deep sleep for the first time since infancy.

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James officially hated Healers. The nurse in charge of him had declared that he needed to be around the other patients since he was 'comatose' anyways and it was supposedly good for comatose patients to be around people. So here he was, in a room with a bunch of lunatics who continuously attempted to breach the safety wards placed around him to prevent unwanted poking and prodding from curious patients. Unbeknownst to the Healers, every time to wards were touched, an invisible tremor would go through him, making his joints rub together painfully. And he had no way of getting back at them either, seeing as he couldn't move or anything.

After 4 hours of this, he began to accept that he would die like this, surrounded by raving psychopaths and idiotic Healers fresh out of school with more romance and gossip on their minds than the welfare of their patients. He seemed to slump further into his pillow and willed his heartbeat to slow and maybe he could even make it stop…

His suicidal plans were abruptly ended by the entrance of a Healer who looked even younger than the others. Hazel eyes scanned the room before landing on James. Striding purposefully over to the bed, he passed easily through the wards, making the other patients whine and renew their efforts to get through. However, the Healer was already levitating James through the doors and down the hall to a new room. This one had windows and was painted blue instead of the eye-burning white that the rest of the hospital was done in. The room also appeared to have someone's personal belongings in it. Belongings that were property of one Maalik Moldova, his new personal Healer who would be his room mate for the rest of his life or until Maalik got fed up with his petty co-workers and quit.

From what he was able to see, Maalik had plain features, long-ish brown hair, and eyes that were a mix of green, gold, and brown. Noticing his patients gaze, he smiled and introduced himself. "Hi there! From your medical report, you probably can't understand a word of what I'm saying, but I like to talk so you'll just have to get used to hearing my voice. My name is Maalik Moldova, and I'll be your personal slave for the rest of forever. I am 16 years old, I finished school early and my parents said I could get a job if I wanted to so here I am." He paused to dig out a folder. "I see that are…27. Since I missed it, happy birthday. It's pretty impressive that you survived a direct encounter with the Dark Lord himself. Not many people can say that they've done that, but then you can't say that either considering…" He trailed off, eyes rapidly moving over the folder. "What?!" he suddenly burst out. "That sedative practically kills a person! What the hell were they thinking! Good Merlin, you could be lucid and nobody would even realize it!" His eyes lit up. "Hey, blink 3 times if you can understand me." He seemed to hold breath and James decided that there just might hope for him after all. He blinked 3 times.

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End ch. 9

So, James is aliiiiiiveeee!! Frankenstein music plays

Review and maybe I'll get enough energy to write another chapter today. You never know…


	10. Chapter 10

CHAPTER 10

When Harry woke up, he was in his bed with the covers wrapped gently around him. He smiled and got out of bed, opening his closet. 3 of the four cats bounded out and curled up on his warm bed. He smiled at their antics and picked up the smallest one with the injured leg and carried it over to the softest pillow. Laying his hand over the animal's limb, he breathed deeply and closed his eyes, looking for that special part of himself that let him do wonderful, powerful things. He didn't know how much he had, so he only used it in little bits when he needed it to heal himself, Leonard, or the cats. He sighed when he thought of Leonard but quickly pushed the thought away as it was distracting him from dragging the energy to the surface. Feeling the warmth pool out of his fingers, he twisted them just right to help make the muscles of the cat's leg be the way they should. It took a lot less of the energy than he thought it would, which pleased him immensely. The cat purred when he was finished and rubbed its head against his hand when he reached out to pet it. The other cats came over to see what he'd done and nuzzled their companion affectionately when they saw she'd been healed.

He lay on the bed for a few hours, surrounded by happy cats before getting up for some air. They followed him silently to the balcony, where he sat down cross-legged on the floor, admiring the moon. It was at that stage just before it became full, and Harry thought it looked lovely.

Bronislav (which means 'protector' in Russian, btw) watched his charge with a smile tugging at his lips. He knew those dark circles had to come from something, and it would appear that the boy was nocturnal. However, if he didn't eat and sleep enough, his brain wouldn't be able to develop properly and he could end up retarded or with extreme behavioral issues later in life. This meant that he was going to have to set some sleep rules, as much as he didn't want to encroach upon the boy's sensibilities.

He failed to notice the group of felines currently sprawled across his porch.

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Deep in the bowels of Hell, surrounded by screams of the ungodly, Asmodeus sat upon a throne of shredded flesh, fingertips pressed together as his thoughts flickered about, always returning to the small one that had come and gone so briefly to this cursed place. A small smile fluttered about his lips as he remembered how delicate the boy had been. Sure, he had seen children before, but this one had been even more fragile than all of them put together, pale skin as thin as paper, allowing his blue veins to show. And his eyes! So large, yet so closed to the world at the same time. He grinned, remembering the goodbye kiss he'd given the boy. His eyes had gone so wide, it had been utterly adorable and he knew that he would like to see those pretty eyes again. He sat up straighter. Why not? It's not like there was anything stopping him from visiting the boy and 'traumatizing' him, was there?

Rising, he strode through the puddles of blood saturated with brain fluids and chipped bones, heading for Lucifer's favorite haunt.

As expected, the Morning Star was yelling at yet another idiotic Demon who'd managed to screw up yet another of his brilliant plans. He snickered and waited until Lucifer had screamed himself hoarse and booted the minion out the room before sauntering up behind him. Leaning close enough to breath obnoxiously into his superior's ear, he purred, "Trouble in Paradise?"

Lucifer flushed red with suppressed rage and whirled around, making him nose-to-nose with the taller Demon. Who promptly snogged him. Pulling away, he laughed at the shocked look on Lucifer's face before saying, "I'm going to go harass some humans. Don't wait up for me, 'kay?" He nodded dumbly, apparently not listening to a word of what he was saying. Asmodeus grinned triumphantly and headed down the stairs that would lead him to where he wanted to go.

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32 minutes later, a sleek white cat appeared in a tiny alley squeezed between two apartment buildings. It's yellow eyes scanned the area, landing on a fire escape that passed next to a line of balconies, one of which he knew his prey was sitting on, surrounded by 4 of his current kind. Loping over to where he knew the boy could see him, he mewled pathetically and feigned injury. As expected, the small one peered over the edge of the balcony, green eyes landing on his form, just barely picking him out in the first rays of the sun.

The petite figure climbed confidently onto the fire escape, descending the coarse metal steps gracefully, despite the sharp edges probably cutting into his bare feet. Reaching the bottom, he crossed the cracked pavement to kneel next to the 'wounded' feline. Slowly stretching out his hand (do not try this at home, kids!) he allowed the cat to smell him before carefully cradling the supposedly injured animal in his arms and examining it without being too invasive, something Asmodeus found admirable. He almost slapped himself. Demons do not admire human qualities! It was his responsibility to stomp out as many positive human qualities in a person, not condone them. Besides, if he started doing that, the Angels just might to start to like him and people who like you do not hate your very guts, something Asmodeus enjoyed making people feel towards him. That or unadultured lust with not a shred of self-respect. The most potent madness, Belphegar had once called it.

Harry was very puzzled. The animal was clearly in pain, but there were no physical problems that he could see. Maybe his mate had died? Deciding that it didn't really matter, since the cat seemed to like being held, he might as well keep him. Stroking the cat's unusually silky fur, he ascended the fire escape and murmured, "You need a name, don't you?" Asmodeus nuzzled his cheek, enjoying the innocent warmth that the boy radiated more than was permissible for a Demon of his station. "How about…Raito? It means 'light' in Japanese and since you are a very bright kitty, I think it suits you. But only if you want to be called that. If you want a different name, feel free to claw at me until you're happy." Harry paused, realizing that he was talking to the cat like it could reply. "Heh, whoops. But you do like the name, right?" Asmodeus purred and patted at Harry's hand that was currently hovering over his face and petting it occasionally. "I'll take that as a yes. Since the sun is rising, we have to go to my room and pretend that we were sleeping, except you'll have to hide. If the doctor sees you here, he'll make you leave and I love you too much already to let that happen."

They'd reached the balcony and Harry paused to set him down on the concrete before climbing over the railing and silently sliding the door open, his 4 other cats following dutifully. They stopped by the kitchen where Harry removed a large can of tuna fish and headed back to his bedroom. 'Raito' looked around curiously, unsurprised by the tastefulness of the room. But then he smelled yummy fish and his brain turned off, overcome by the desire to eat for the first time in over a millennia.

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End ch10

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	11. Chapter 11

CHAPTER 11

It had been two weeks since Harry had been adopted by the doctor, and he was now in the middle of a tutoring session. His mind was wandering, while he kept an ear open to what the woman was saying so he could think about it later, maybe that night? Speaking of his nocturnal habits, the doctor had been adamant about him getting regular sleeping hours and had even gone so far as to give him strange colored liquids that made him sleep uncannily deep, causing strange and wonderful dreams. Dreams that all seemed to feature that lovely white cat he had acquired. He unwillingly smiled while thinking about Raito. The cat was unusually friendly and would curl up next to him when he slept and the doctor never seemed to notice the white fur ball tucked under his chin.

Something brushed by his leg just then, making him jump. His tutor, Zebrine Greaves, an African-American woman in her forties, looked at him curiously. The boy was strange enough as it was, she really didn't want to deal with a kid who got seizures. But then he peeked under the table and smiled. Looking at her, he said, "I'm sorry, ma'am, something just startled me is all. Please continue." This is why she liked this job. The kid was very respectful of her and did not bounce about and ignore her. Although he appeared to be asleep sometimes, he always got the answers correct and she could tell that he wasn't cheating. The boy's guardian had the right idea, keeping him out of school. One forgot how cruel children could be to those different from them.

And Harry certainly was different. When she'd first come here, he'd been thinner than a fresh sapling with these enormous green eyes that seemed to swallow his face. It was adorable, but looked unnatural. And those dark circles! They'd started to fade lately, just as he was filling out a bit, but his eyes remained huge and his skin whiter than paper.

Sometimes, she would catch sight of him wandering around town early in the morning with several large cats and a small one following him, carrying a white cat with fur whiter than fresh snow. Once, when she'd come over early, she had seen the boy in his room with a small tabby sitting on his head. He'd been giggling adorably and the other felines had seemed to watching fondly on as the smallest of them struggled to stay in the boy's long hair.

Speaking of hair, the boy's hair bugged her. Its messy waves and occasional ringlet just begged to braided, but somehow she knew that any more than a few braids would look awful on him. And he had so _much _hair; if he'd been a girl it would have looked lovely. As it was, it still looked lovely, but she had a policy against girly boys. At least he was intelligent.

But one of these days she was going to put some braids in that boy's hair, regardless of what anybody said about using black hair tricks on a white boy.

Harry had been pleasantly surprised by Raito coming to say 'hello', although the unexpected contact had startled him at first. The silly cat was now curled around his bare feet, keeping them warm. How the cat always seemed to when and where he was cold, he had yet to discover. He wasn't going to question it, just accept it.

Lately, now that he had acquired an immunity to the sleeping water, he would read to his cats until he fell asleep. He'd never liked textbooks anyways. But they did have a wealth of information in their pages, so he would dutifully read what his tutor assigned and then some so he would be extra prepared.

While he was lost in thought, Zebrine continued to lecture about the inner organs of frogs.

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Maalik was currently doing something that would probably get him fired, or maybe even killed if his patient really was 'A psychotic madman, intent on destroying everything within reach. Keep sedated at all costs', which he strongly doubted.

Finishing the incantation, he watched as the jar he'd set next to James's head slowly filled with the sedative. As this happened, he saw intelligence and relief flooding the man's eyes. He smiled at the clearly benign man and gently poured a muscles restorative potion down his throat, massaging his neck to make the barely-there muscles co-operate.

Now all he had to do was somehow acquire an enormous amount of the required potion and give him a dosage 3 times a day. He sighed, realizing that this would undoubtedly empty his wallet, but he couldn't just leave the man like this.

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End ch. 11

Review and maybe my Muse will be flattered enough to help me write another one today!


	12. Chapter 12

CHAPTER 12

Harry's 10 birthday was a quiet affair, marked only by a slice of cake and a kiss to the forehead. He didn't mind, birthdays were overrated anyways. His last birthday had been marked by a very different sort of kiss. His cheeks flushed and he ducked his head at the memory, making Bronislav chuckle and ruffle his hair fondly before walking out the door, leaving him with his tutor Zebrine who'd volunteered to watch him for the day. He soon forgot her presence, mind occupied with reliving the second kiss of his short lifetime. Or kisses, it depended on how you looked at it, really.

_ShinyFlashbackpeople! it'smyfirsteversobenice_

_The sun had decided to shine brightly that day, so Harry had adjourned inside to wait for clouds. Other children might enjoy light, but shadows were more his element. His favorite cat prowled into the room and rested its face on his chest. Harry smiled at Raito, reaching out a delicate hand to pet him when he noticed the cat's features rearranging themselves and getting generally larger. Wondering if he'd fallen asleep, he moved to pull his hand back when a large one enclosed it, giving a gentle squeeze. Eyes rising, Harry found himself looking at Asmodeus himself. Well, that explained a few things, the increasingly erotic dreams in particular. The Demon leaned in really close and whispered, "Hello, Harry. Miss me?"_

"_No, you appear to have been my daily companion for the past year. Care to explain yourself?" He forced himself to frown as threateningly as he was able. He may be proficient at blanking his features, but infusing negative emotion was still difficult for him. Mariel would have said it was because he was a naturally sweet person, but Harry wasn't sure he deserved that title. _

_Much to his annoyance, Asmodeus only smiled wider and answered, "Oh yes, I have been enjoying your company so very much. But you haven't been able to see my body, and that spoils half the fun, don't you think?" His lips were brushing Harry's cheek when he spoke now, he was so close. Harry was nervous about how much he was enjoying being this close to another person beside his guardian. Bronislav never held him like this, as the Demon's arms had sneaked their way around him, one supporting his head like a muscled pillow and the other lightly wrapped around his waist, tips of his fingers lightly massaging his hipbone. The green-eyed boy resisted the urge to squirm and move closer to the questing fingers. _

_Asmodeus smiled at him, yellow cat eyes crinkling slightly at the edges. Harry once again struggled to come up with a reason to be irritated and could think of nothing, which was odd. Normally he could think of anything within a very small space of time but those fingers were making him fuzzy and comfortable. He found himself not wanting the Demon to leave, he felt so good just being near him like this. Asmodeus' lips were hovering over his mouth and he briefly met Harry's eyes, a question Harry didn't understand within their depths. But before he could think too much, the brunette kissed him deeply, effectively reducing his IQ to single digits. He felt like the world was gone, with only the stars remaining, shining brighter than he could stand. He wrapped a still frightfully thin arm around the Demon's neck and pressed his own lips tighter against him. He could feel him smile against his mouth and parted his lips slightly in response. He didn't know what he was doing, but he'd seen people do it on the telly and it seemed to make the other person happy so why not?_

_It was definitely working because Asmodeus actually purred and rolled them so they were on their sides with Harry cradled ever so carefully in his arms while he continued pressing their mouths together, breaking apart to breathe every couple seconds, something that annoyed Harry immensely. He wanted the kisses to be longer and told him so, eliciting a bark of laughter that quickly died when Harry pounced his mouth, moving so he was lying on his chest. So far, Asmodeus' hands were staying in innocent areas, something Harry appreciated. _

_Then the sound of Harry's guardian rattling his keys outside the door sounded, the doorknob turning ominously. They exchanged a quick look before he transformed back into a cat and slid under the bed, yellow eyes glowing in the dark. Just in time, too, because the doctor opened the door to Harry's just then and announced that he'd bought him a special birthday lunch. It was some kind of expensive-sounding pasta dish with a white sauce and long thin noodles. He enjoyed it immensely, although everything he ate that day had a faint taste of Asmodeus, making his face turn red. _

_The sad part was when he got sent to bed, Asmodeus/Raito was missing. There was a small note waiting for him on the bed, though. The paper was very thick and had a faint blue tinge to it. It said, "Harry, an alarm sounds every time I touch a human in physical form and Lucifer gets on my case about 'breeding with humans'. Not that I could make you have babies in the first place. At least, I don't think so. Ignore that. Love you and don't you dare kiss anybody else. You are MINE now, get used to it. With much love, Asmodeus."_

_Harry had shook his head, the Demon's behavior oddly reminiscent of the little girls he saw hanging around posters of 'handsome' movie stars, squealing and giggling and having catfights over who would marry the poor man._

_EndShinyFlashback_

Zebrine was now eying him, looking slightly alarmed. Belatedly, Harry realized that he was giggling and sitting on the floor, making him appear to be having an 'episode'. Blushing brighter than he did when he'd walked in on his guardian showering; he righted his chair and sat on it, legs curled up under him and picked up his mug of coffee. Taking a deep gulp from it, he resisted the wince that his body attempted to give at the burning sensation. He smiled innocently at Mrs. Greaves and she smiled back crookedly. She had four gold teeth visible to the boy, something he found fascinating. But he was growing bored of his small social circle and wanted to be around some new people.

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Draco Malfoy was a studious boy who kept to the library, only making public appearances when his parents remembered he was there. He was the second son, which made him insignificant. His younger sister, Sophie, was the only living Malfoy female under 30, which made her as 'exceptional' as his older brother, Julius. He was only two years older than Draco but thought he was the king or something. Either way, they were both spoiled prats and Draco wanted nothing to do with them or his parents. It wasn't that Lucius was a bad father; he just forgot that he had a third child sometimes. Most of the time, now that his brother was already in his second year of school.

And his mother was clinically insane, so she didn't count in the parenting area. After Colette had been murdered by the Bad Men, his mum had become…strange. She would stop random people on the street and ask them of they knew where their children were, f they were safe. She upset so many people that the aurors had requested that they keep her confined to the house or a hospital. Since Malfoys do not show weakness, it was decided that they would keep her there, watched over by a nurse named Chardai Stokes. She looked like a mass of wrinkles, she was so old. But Draco liked her, she brought him books and would tell him stories if he asked.

He turned the page of a text on mind-controlling potions he was currently reading. His godfather, whom he'd only met briefly when he was 6, was a Potions master and he wanted to be able to speak intelligently with him when he was sent to Hogwarts in a few months.

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End ch12

See, I updated! Be happy and review so I can be happy too!


	13. Chapter 13

CHAPTER 13

It was five minutes until the clock struck midnight, signifying his 11th birthday. Harry had once again managed to become immune to the sleeping drugs the doctor gave him each night to combat his sleeplessness. He wouldn't call himself an insomniac, because insomniacs cannot cure themselves. He could sleep, but he just didn't want to. Sometimes he had dreams, horrible dreams of people being murdered, raped, watching their loved ones suffer the same, all at the hand of a man who strongly resembled himself, only much older with no glasses. And his eyes were red, but that didn't really bother him. He'd seen weirder.

This…thing would destroy everything in sight, backed by an army of people wearing white masks and black capes. They did most of the work, while Red Eyes gave orders and picked out the most important-looking in the crowd, alternately using some kind of nasty curse with a red light and a green one that made people fall right over. Harry wasn't sure if it killed them, but he was pretty sure it did.

And sometimes he would have a dream in which Red Eyes would be shooting bright lights out of a stick at a very old man with a long beard wearing a pink cape. Then the old man would go down, hit with an ugly yellow one and it would look like everybody was going to die when a tall guy in black would appear and kill him with a scythe. It was creepy, but he felt like he'd seen the man before. If he was a man at all. Maybe he was a Demon that he didn't remember meeting? But no, he remembered every second he'd spent in the Underworld and nowhere could he recall a man that tall bearing a scythe.

Sighing, he looked at the clock again and noted that a grand total of 45 seconds had passed. He scowled at the device and turned it on its face so he didn't have to see the creeping numbers anymore. Why he was feeling so hyped about this birthday he didn't know, he just felt like something was going to happen, something good. He smiled at the thought. Life had been very boring lately and he wanted some excitement, anything would do, just as long as he wasn't sitting here day after day, reading textbooks, passing them, being babysat by his tutor, or playing with his cats. He loved his cats, but they couldn't talk back so the conversations he held with them were one-sided and he knew that talking to animals like that was a sign of growing mental instability. The last thing he wanted to be was crazy, but he was starting to seem more so with every day. But crazy people don't know they're crazy…

He contemplated this new thought. If so, then he was perfectly sane, if a bit odd, and could do as he liked as long as he continued to regard himself as mad. He grinned, imagining the things he could do with his Special Powers to the neighbor's children. They had two teenaged boys and a 7 year old daughter who was a complete brat. His grin faded when he remembered her selfish behavior and attitude towards life. She was going to grow up very twisted he was sure.

The clock made a slightly louder clicking noise than usual and Harry knew that it was now 12:00 o'clock. "Happy birthday to me…" He whispered into the dark, smiling widely when his cats rubbed against him and purred their congratulations. Since he was sitting outside, he noticed right away that a large owl was heading towards the complex. Then it landed abruptly on the balcony railing, looking at him with yellow eyes. Harry was used to strange animals by now and wondered if this animal was also a Demon in disguise. He was about to ask it when it thrust a leg at him, a rolled-up envelope tied to it.

"I-is that for me?" The owl waved the foot impatiently and he took that as a yes. Carefully untying it, he scratched the owl on the crest of its head as a thank you. It looked surprised before leaning into the free massage, giving a faint hoot of appreciation. Since the poor bird looked exhausted, Harry scooped it up in his arms and carried it inside to the small kitchen. Opening the fridge, he removed his extra piece of toast from that morning that he hadn't been able to eat and tore off a piece, offering it to the bird. It accepted it and ate it rapidly, surprising Harry. He quickly tore the rest of the toast apart for it and set it down within reach should the owl desire to eat it.

While the owl was occupied, Harry opened his letter. It was made from that same weird thick paper that he recognized as parchment from his history books. The ink was bright green and it was written in a neat script, flowing in perfectly straight lines, something he still struggled with. The letter appeared to be an acceptance form from some weird school that was claiming to teach magical children. His first reaction was to snort and mutter, "What bullshit." before remembering his Special Powers. Maybe…maybe this place could teach him how to use his powers better or something. He decided to sleep on it and show it to his guardian when he woke up.

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Surprisingly, his guardian hadn't seemed too surprised by the idea of magic, immediately giving Harry permission to attend as long as it wasn't too expensive. After using the ever-so-helpful chart provided that showed how 'Muggle' money compared to Wizarding currency, Bronislav deduced that is quite within his budget to pay for the tuition and books, if only they could find this 'Leaky Cauldron' that would let them enter the magical world.

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End ch13

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	14. Chapter 14

CHAPTER 14

Why they were standing in the middle of the London Underground, Harry didn't understand. His guardian had suddenly gone all mysterious on him and dragged him down here at 5 in the morning. He claimed it was when the most dangerous were passed out and therefore unable to bother them while they passed through. So here they were, standing in a grimy street devoid of cars or any sign of life other than a snoring hooker sprawled atop a dumpster, a thin stream of drool coming out of her mouth. Harry eyed her disgustedly before getting dragged away by his guardian to a scummy alley with a dead end. They headed straight for the wall, Bronislav keeping him moving at a fast pace pulling up abruptly, facing the wall, he squeezed Harry's hand and pressed the palm of his other hand to the graffiti-covered bricks in front of him.

A gaping tunnel opened round them, leaving them standing on a thin piece of scrap metal that had a chunk of concrete under it with a thick metal pole coming out of the bottom, disappearing into the abyss they were surrounded by. Then they started to descend, making Harry unwillingly cling to the doctor's leg in fright. Sure, he had seen stuff like this before on the telly, but that was always the scene that preceded the main character's head getting eaten by some horrible, horrible monster living in the creepy tunnel that would doubtless be waiting for them when their strange elevator stopped. Hearing a spine-chilling grinding noise, Harry looked up and saw that a replacement elevator had covered their only source. Thrust into complete darkness, Harry concentrated on keeping breathing steady and how his guardian knew about something this complicated and…magical?

Come to think of it, he hadn't seemed too surprised by the notion of magic existing, almost like he knew beforehand. His eyes narrowed in suspicion and he looked up at where his guardian's face would be if he could see it in the dark. Suddenly, something brushed Harry's leg and he shrieked, leaping into Bronislav's arms. There was a stunned silence during which Bronislav tried desperately not to laugh at the expression on the boy's face. His features were much more expressive in the dark, when he thought nobody could see him. Brown eyes softened when he realized how frightening this must be for his charge, not being able to see anything at all in the dark.

"It's alright, Harry. There's nothing in here-" He was interrupted by a cat's mewl. Looking down sharply, he saw a white cat with large yellow eyes trained on his charge, looking needy. He could feel Harry perking up. "Raito?" His quiet voice asked, echoing slightly against the walls. The cat purred in response and the boy rapidly wriggled out of his arms and kneeled on the platform, hands waving back and forth as he sought out the feline in the dark. The cat came over to the boy and rubbed up against his side, purring all the while. "Raito, you came back!" Harry said, sounding strangely choked up, like he was about to either laugh or cry. _The hell is going on here…? _He wondered, watching the boy pet the cat dutifully, the pale feline purring loudly and occasionally batting at the boy's face, making him giggle.

When the elevator came to a rocky stop at the bottom, Harry scooped the cat up and carried it in his arms as they walked down the corridor to the exit that would open in Nocturne Alley. Pushing the door open, they stepped out onto the cobbled street while Harry looked around in wonder. So this is what the magical world looked like! It was dark and there were shops selling things that would be disgusting to most other people but Harry read the descriptions of the pain they could cause avidly, creating a mental list of things to buy and keep on hand for emergencies.

His guardian looked on, wondering what kind of monster he had just created.

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End ch14

Yeah, it's short. Sorry 'bout that.


	15. Chapter 15

Warning! This was written while listening to 'Dancing Queen' by ABBA and a collection of obscure funeral marches. Forgive me if it turned out a bit odd.

CHAPTER 15

Unfortunately, Harry was dragged from the fascinating alley and forced to go to a brightly-colored place called 'Diagon Alley', which was full of happy people and screaming children wanting candy or ice cream. Seeing the sign selling the frozen treat, the doctor told him to wait there or go to a bookstore while he bought some. Left alone, he amused himself by examining the expressions of people's faces and trying to guess what they were thinking. Then he was knocked down by a clumsy-looking boy who dashed off afterwards without apologizing. Harry sneered after the redheaded boy who dared to crash into him, catching the attention of the redhead's older brothers. Who appeared to be identical twins, from what he could see. He made sure to keep his back straight when they loomed over him, face meticulously blank. "Can I help you?" He asked, his voice at it's deadest. The twins appeared to shudder just slightly before replying, "Um, yeah. Is there a reason you sneered at our brother? Or are you just a stuck-up little bastard?"

Harry blinked at them and stated, "He bumped into _me. _And I don't like hyper children, so I'm a little irritable right now. Apologies if I offended you by being human. Oh! And I may be an orphan, but I am of legitimate birth."

They blinked back at him before slowly smiling. "Well, aren't you clever, ickle firstie." Said the one on the right and the one on the left agreed readily, "Yes, yes he certainly is. What do you say we do with him?"

Harry interjected, "Nothing, I should think. I need to get to the bookstore, if you don't mind." He made to move past them when they shifted to block the way.

"Not so fast, firstie. We require a name and an estimate of which house you'll be in." They said at the same time, something Harry found quite impressive. Almost as impressive as Asmodeus' ability to sleep through this ruckus, draped over Harry's shoulder with only a small hand steadying him. Speaking of Asmodeus, he was stirring, tail curling and uncurling as he attempted to stretch in his precarious position. The twins finally noticed the large white cat currently climbing on top of the kid's head and gave him a weird look.

"What?" Harry asked, looking bored before wincing when one of 'Raito's' claws scratched his forehead. "Be careful!" He snapped at the feline who only curled into a small ball on his head and continued purring. Harry rolled his eyes, once again trying to get past the twins to the bookstore. This time they let him pass and then stalked him at a distance as he waded through the mob of annoying people.

Fully aware of the twins following him, Harry stepped inside the crowded bookstore and quickly selected the necessary books texts for his schooling before heading to the deserted back shelves, looking for a book to read for fun. The doctor had been adamant about him getting at least one book that he _wanted _read, since he wouldn't be able to take very many books from the apartment. And he'd already read most of them anyway, so something new and possibly containing information about this new world he had been introduced to.

He could see the twins hiding behind a bookshelf watching him 'sneakily' as he browsed. Moving on to the darker-looking titles, he pulled out a book titled 'Hogwarts Through the Years' with a green cover that was blacker than anything else in the immediate vicinity. Plopping down on the floor, he allowed Asmodeus to climb off his head and into his lap, he cracked the book and started speed reading.

The more he learned, the greater his anticipation grew. He was a little leery about moving staircases and classrooms, but figured that it couldn't be that dangerous since the school was still around. Either that or the entire Wizarding population was of a masochistic nature. He shuddered at the thought, remembering a certain boy he'd met at the Orphanage…

_Looky! ShinyFlashbackIsback!_

_Harry had decided to forego his normal routine and stay inside for lunch today since it was twenty below freezing outside. All of the tables in the eating hall were crammed; he went to the loo and was going to eat in there when he noticed a thin stream of blood trickling down the drain. Fighting off memories of when he had watched his own life force do something similar, he looked around for the source. It was coming from one of the shower stalls with the curtain drawn. Harry stuffed his lunch into his shirt and crept silently towards the stall on his hands and knees. He peeked through the thin curtain and spied one of the older classmen sitting with his knees drawn up to his chest, nursing his arm that Harry now saw was covered in half-healed cuts and faded scars. The freshest one was still bleeding while two others were merely seeping, already half-closed over with scabs._

_The boy looked up, sensing someone there and blue met green. Harry slowly moved past the curtain to sit next to the older boy. "Why?" he whispered, hoping he wasn't being too nosy. _

"_I hurt so badly inside that I have to get it out of me somehow or I'll die. And I can't take care of my sister if I'm dead, so I cut to stay alive." He answered emotionlessly even as the first two cuts stopped bleeding, eyes staring straight ahead, making him look like a zombie. But Harry understood. If Mariel was still alive, he would have done anything, even stay alive, to take care of her. _

"_Do you think I'm weird?" The other boy asked suddenly, turning to meet Harry's eyes. He shook his head. "No, you're not weird. I am. Don't worry, I won't tell if you promise to be careful."_

_The 13 year old nodded and once again looked down at his cuts before standing and heading over to the sinks. When Harry followed, he turned on the shower head briefly to wash away the remains of the blood while he cleaned the cuts over the sink. Patting them dry with a paper towel, he extracted a roll of bandages out of his back pocket and used them to wrap around the wounds. He shot Harry a wry smile before leaving the bathroom. Suddenly Harry wasn't hungry anymore and he threw his lettuce in the trash when he was heading back to classes. _

_Some things just made his head hurt from the effort needed to not think about them._

_Flashbackend!bescarredforlifenow!_

He was all for suicide, but release through pain was something he still couldn't quite comprehend. Deciding that the book would be worth purchasing, he closed it and settled himself down to wait for the doctor to find him. Seeing that he was done, Asmodeus slinked his way up the boy's chest until he was forced to lie down on his back in the middle of the carpeted floor and pet him, which he graciously did, rubbing the ears particularly as he knew 'Raito' liked to be petted there.

In his peripheral vision he could see that he was boring the twins and resisted smirking. Soon they would leave and then maybe he could get in some 'quality time' with Asmodeus.

But alas, the doctor came strolling around the corner just then, taking in the sight of Harry petting what was apparently a _very _friendly cat, a large stack of books next to him with all of the necessities plus one, which appeared to be about the school itself. He smiled and asked if he was ready to go. At his nod, he hefted 2/3 of the books and headed towards the checkout, knowing Harry was behind him with that strange cat in tow.

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End ch15

W00t! 15 already!!


	16. Chapter 16

CHAPTER 16

The train was rather unimpressive, Harry concluded, eyeing the brightly-colored smoke coming out of the exhaust dubiously. "This is so kindergarten." He muttered, making his guardian laugh. How the man always managed to overhear every word out of his mouth he would never know. Shrugging, he resumed his people-watching. Technically, he _could _be on the train selecting a compartment, but he wasn't going to see his guardian again until Christmas and wanted to enjoy as much time as possible with him, even if they were just sitting on his trunk checking out the idiots he would be forced into close contact with. From what he'd seen, Wizarding children were no more intelligent than the average Muggle spawn. Although there were a few odd children who looked promising, like the smaller blond boy standing next to someone so androgynous that Harry couldn't tell if it was their mother or their father from this distance. But then he noticed how the figure had broader shoulders than any woman he'd seen before and narrower hips. And he was taller than everybody else around him, male and female. Standing next to the man was a boy a little older than Harry with very short hair and a sneer on his lips that looked permanent. Then there was a little girl with hair long enough to reach her waist, pulled into a mass of elegant-looking braids and interspersed with bells of all things. Harry had to admit that it looked rather nice, if one overlooked the sneer rivaling her brother's.

He'd almost missed the third child, who was about his age, hair in a bob being held out of his face with a few simple hairpins, nose buried in a large heavy-looking book. He wasn't sneering and looked quite intelligent, something Harry considered as necessary as a heartbeat to ensure an enjoyable conversation. And avoid death by asphyxiation, as Harry was finding it increasingly difficult to resist strangling the little blighters he was unfortunate enough to meet. Who cared what Sally thought of Susie or how cute Jack was and how they were gonna get married and the like. He shivered at the memories from before his guardian had adopted him, dearly hoping that his peers would have gained some maturity during the years he'd been absent from their brain-numbing presence. He hadn't missed it much.

A whistle blew and suddenly there was a mad dash of colossal imbeciles all trying to get their butts into the narrow doors at the same time. Harry stared at the display before turning to his guardian, allowing himself to be lifted up so he could peck him on the cheek. "See you at Christmas, Harry. Try to survive without me, yeah?" Bronislav asked playfully, tugging on his charge's small ear. Harry smiled down at him and kissed him again before wriggling out of the embrace, hefting his trunk and skittering off in the distance to an entrance that was being overlooked, that weird white cat hot on his heels.

The cat had disappeared when they'd got home from their shopping trip, showing up every time Harry went to the park to get some air. It was a very friendly animal, even curling up on his own lap when Harry was on the swings or got tired of carrying the cat around, who was quite heavy actually. The boy had begged to be able to take the cat with him to the school, something common for most children but a characteristic he'd never before seen him exhibit. It was utterly adorable and he'd found himself saying 'yes' before he even realized what the question was. Those eyes would be the death of him yet.

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Having finally located the compartment containing the smallest amount of people, he proceeded to scare the crap out of them, making them depart from the compartment in a hurry. When the dust cleared, there was one kid still sitting there and Harry figured that he hadn't pissed him off yet so he might as well stay for now. Seating himself in a dignified heap on the floor, he dug a book out of his messenger bag and cracked it open, re-reading the transfiguration history section. Getting cold, he also removed an enormous sweater from the bag and tugged it over his head. It was the same one Mariel had worn the first time she'd come to him with her injuries. The red didn't look that good on him, according to Zebrine, but it was insanely comfy so he didn't care.

Catching sight of something else red in the corner of his eye, he turned and saw that the other boy was petting a small red snake with a smile playing around his lips. The snake was murmuring endearments to the boy and wriggling in happiness. Harry had realized that he could speak to snakes when he was three years old and hadn't seen anything odd about it. After all, if magic was real, then anything was possible. He smiled at the boy and his snake before re-opening his book, missing the look of bemusement on his silent companions face.

Blaise Zabini was very intrigued, and when something caught his fancy he pursued it until he'd learned everything there was to know about it.

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End ch16

Yay! 3rd ch for today! Review, people, the author needs food badly!


	17. Chapter 17

CHAPTER 17

He'd just finished changing into his robes when the train came to a gentle stop. The other boy stood up gracefully, black eyes glittering. Harry thought it looked quite nice and smiled at him. The other boy smirked back and offered his hand. "Blaise Zabini, nice to meet you."

Harry shook his hand and replied, "Harry Potter. This is your first year too?" he nodded, smirk widening.

"I'm hoping for Slytherin. You?"

"Same here. That or Ravenclaw." Harry replied, looking bored. He nudged Raito with his toe, snickering when the cat hissed at it and attempted to attack his leg. "C'mon, Raito, we're here and I don't fancy losing you out there amongst the sea of human waste awaiting us…" The cat seemed to surrender and allowed itself to be lifted and cradled in fragile-looking arms. He met the pretty eyes of the black boy and grandly asked, "Shall we?"

Blaise grinned, shaking his head, exiting the compartment and holding the door so Harry could get out while his arms were occupied by a lovely cat with very white fur that almost seemed to glow. He briefly toyed with the idea of the cat being magical in some way but quickly discarded it. Magical Creatures was a subject in which he was highly proficient and he'd never seen anything like it, so it must be the lighting. Realizing that Harry was almost out of sight, he picked up the pace to walk beside his new friend.

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James was happy to say that he could now eat, and feed himself at that. Thanks to Maalik, he was sitting up in bed, aware of his surroundings, and holding a decent one-sided conversation with his chatty healer.

"So she was all over Jake, like he was all that and whatever. He's just a stupid quidditch player! And a jerk, to boot. Oh! I'm sorry; I've been talking for…um…" He trailed off, looking at the clock conveniently placed on a nearby table. "Half an hour! Alright, your turn to talk."

He was at a loss for words. "Um, I don't have much to say, really. And I don't mind you talking so much, the opposite actually. Your voice is very nice. Do you sing at all?"

Maalik blushed and nodded. "Yeah, I used to be in choir at school."

"Where did you got to school?"

"Hogwarts. I was in Hufflepuff, although I wanted to be in Ravenclaw."

"You're too mice for Ravenclaw, Maalik. I went to Hogwarts too, but it was quite a bit before you did. I was in Gryffindor."

Maalik nodded, taking a sip of his tea and wincing when it burned him. His wince caused the tea cup to tip over and spill all over the saucer and off onto his lap. "Shit!" He cursed, standing up quickly and setting the tea on the table. He unbuttoned his pants and headed to the closet containing his clothes, stripping the burning material off as he went.

James found himself blushing.

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Ch17

You guys got to see James! Yay! Sorry the update is a little later today, but I had to work this morning and didn't have time to write. I will also be working tonight, argh! Review and make my day!harrHH


	18. Chapter 18

Behold! The sorting scene, because no self respectin' AU fic is complete without a 'shocking' sorting scene.

CHAPTER 18

After being enthusiastically guided into Very Unsafe For Immature Brats boats, they set out across a murky lake towards a large castle with lights in every window. Harry had to admit that the sight was quite magnificent, although he would never think to say that out loud as he was currently surrounded by the people who would be his constant companions for the next 7 years. Thanks to a ruthless Zebrine, he was well aware of just how much damage a bad first impression could cause.

He was currently sharing the boat with Blaise, the blond kid he had seen reading at the train station earlier, and a chubby boy who was hyperventilating because he couldn't find his toad. Why anyone would want a toad as a pet, Harry didn't know and didn't care to either. Instead he focused on figuring out what kind of spell would be needed to make the boats move across the water at a safe but swift speed while still remaining unsteady. He experimentally rocked his body back and forth a few times, making some water slosh in and get the chubby boy wet. He gasped from the cold and promptly drew his knees up to his chest, making the boat tilt dangerously to the right, getting the rest of them wet. As one they glared balefully at the suddenly panicking boy. "T-there's something in the water! I felt it move past the boat!" He whispered, eyes' dilating in what Harry supposed was terror. Why it was such a big deal was beyond him. Being eleven, dying in such a way just might send him to Heaven, but not if he deliberately held his breath, thus committing suicide once again. Idly, he toyed with the idea but then decided that he wanted to learn more about magic before dying.

The boat abruptly stopped moving. The blond appeared to snap out of whatever daydream he'd been in and peered over the sides before commenting, "There appears to be a large pink tentacle preventing our passage."

Harry and Blaise merely nodded sagely, showing no sign of alarm while the Chubby Kid, as Harry had elected to call him, stared at them incredulously. "You guys! We need to call for help or something!!" The panic was very obvious, his voice taking on a shrill note as he flailed his arms, making the boat shift in the tentacle's grip. Sighing, Harry decided to be the good guy and negotiate with the creature. Leaning over the side of the boat and looking deeply into the depths of the lake, he took a deep breath and submerged his head in the water.

The other three boys looked at each other, Chubby Boy looking confused and the other two just looking bored as hell.

Harry couldn't see much, but he gestured with his hands blindly, repeatedly signaling for the creature to release them. It seemed to work, since the coils loosened and sent the boat shooting across the water to join the rest of the other boats that had already docked, the students standing on the slippery stones looking awed. Harry met Blaise's gaze and rolled his eyes. He got a smirk in response.

It was at about that point that he realized that he was soaked to the bone and freezing, the other boys in a similar state, although with their upper halves spared. Making the fast decision that playing up his childish charm was in order, he made his eyes as wide as possible and re-arranged his features into that of an adorably confused child. Looking up at the enormous man claiming to be the grounds keeper, he asked in a small voice if he and his friends could have some towels because they were very cold right now. He could practically see the man melting into a mental pile of goo as he nodded rapidly and removed his great coat, wrapping all four boys in it and carrying them to the front doors, closely followed by the rest of the idiotic masses.

They were greeted at the door by a woman who looked like she was about to launch into a pre-prepared speech before she caught sight of the grounds keeper holding a large coat in his arms with 4 boy's heads sticking of it. Seeing the direction of her gaze, the man hastened to explain.

"Evenin', ma'am. These here were rocking their boat a bit and the Squid took a liking to 'em. They got real wet, although none of 'em is hurt bad. They is cold and I can't use a drying charm, so I wrapped 'em in this my coat here."

That seemed to satisfy the woman and she nodded curtly before addressing the assembled group as a whole. "This way, children. You are to follow me and wait in an ante-chamber while we prepare to sort you. Please follow in a quiet and orderly manner, unless you wish to bring shame upon yourselves before you've even been sent to a house." She turned and briskly strode down a long hallway, Hagrid setting the boys down, still wrapped in his coat. When Blaise moved to return it, the man held up a hand the size of a dinner platter. "Never you mind, kids. Just come visit me tomorrow at me Hut on the grounds to return it." The dark boy nodded and wrapped it around them again before they followed the rest of the group down the hall towards their fate.

---

The Great Hall was alright, Harry supposed, although it did give him flashbacks from a certain incident involving getting horribly, horribly lost at a Planetarium and sufficiently making his guardian go over-protective on him for months afterwards. He shuddered and the blond eyed him before asking in a voice that could only belong to one of finer blood, "Are you alright?"

Harry nodded, smiling at him. This one looked intelligent and that was enough to put him on his 'like' list. "I'm Harry and this is Blaise. Pleased to meet you, and I'd offer my hand but that would involve dropping the coat, which I don't fancy doing at the moment."

Draco smiled back and said, "Draco Malfoy. And I have no idea who the fat kid is."

Said fat kid stuck his tongue out at them and said, "I'm Joseph Mallory, and my daddy says that I'm better than everybody here, so there!"

Harry sneered at the Biggest Imbecile So Far, and decided to pay attention to the kids getting sorted. He immediately decided that he would rather spend 2 weeks in the Matron's office than be sorted into Gryffindor, which was currently standing as one, screaming happily as yet another poor fool got sorted into their House. Hufflepuff looked fairly stupid, but they looked nice stupid so they were alright. There was hope for some of them to turn out alright, many years in the future. The Ravenclaws just looked like they believed themselves to be the best of the best and that there was nothing you could do about it. He met the eyes of a freshly-sorted Asian girl, who was staring at him in something creepily similar to abject adoration. He shuddered and stood a little closer to Blaise, who was rather tall for his age.

The Slytherins all looked bored, some eating candy left over from the train ride. They only had 2 or 3 new arrivals, which looked perfectly at home instead of nervous like the rest of the children.

"Malfoy, Draco." The lady called out, eyes scanning the crowd until they landed on the blond, who was currently struggling out of the coat. Blaise and Harry smiled reassuringly at him as he walked down the line of children to the hat, dripping the whole way. The lady cast a quick charm on him that dried him before setting the weird hat on his head. About 2 seconds passed before it called out "SLYTHERIN!"

Draco made his way over to the table, who showed no sign of acknowledgement. An upper classman scooted down the bench so he could sit down, smirking at the petite blond sitting next to him with perfect posture.

"Mallory, Joseph."

The fat kid waddled down to the stool, which creaked ominously when he sat on it. "GRYFFINDOR!" Was the verdict after a few moments. The red house once again did their screaming routine, causing almost imperceptible winces at the staff table that did not go unnoticed by Harry.

A few other kids got sorted before-

"Potter, Harry."

He shucked the coat onto a startled Blaise, prompting an indignant "Hey!" before heading towards the stool. He plunked down on it, carefully not showing even a twitch of the nervousness building up in his stomach. What if the gods decided to once express their hatred of him and have him sorted into Gryffindor? He almost wretched at the idea. Being surrounded by complete morons for the next 7 years sounded like outright torture. And he thought he spied a pair of familiar red heads sitting there, which would make it even worse. But then he felt his memories being sifted through, which was quite a strange sensation, before the hat called out "SLYHTERIN!"

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End ch18

Hope you guys liked this!

By the way, this story is dedicated to my most faithful reviewer Ariseris. Kisses, everyone! And review or I'll pull a Potter and commit suicide.


	19. Chapter 19

CHAPTER 19 (19 already! My baby is growing up so fast! sob)

Poor Blaise was sorted last, due to his name, before he quickly crossed the room to where Harry was sitting next to Draco. He sat on Harry's other side and proceeded to ignore the Headmaster's speech along with the rest of the table. Draco took out a deck of tarot cards and had a small argument with Blaise over who would be the dealer. They offered them to Harry who declined, having no experience with divination of any kind. Instead, Harry munched on a 'chocolate frog' that a friendly-looking first year girl had handed to him with a smile. He'd smiled back and quickly bit the thing's head off before it could get away. "I'm Daphne Greengrass. You're Harry Potter, right?" He nodded and shook her hand over the table, as she was sitting across from him.

"Nice to meet you and thanks for the chocolate."

"No problem. I always buy too much anyways. Your cat is really pretty, by the way"

Harry laughed. "I'm not sure he would appreciate being called pretty, but he's sleeping so your eyes are spared from being clawed out of your skull for now." Instead of looking disgusted like he was half-expecting, she laughed and replied, "I like you, you're not afraid of the macabre, or of speaking of it around girls. You got guts, but be careful because they might find themselves strewn around the hall if you eat too much."

Harry raised an eyebrow at her and smirked. She smirked back. He was already happy he had chosen this house. In the background he could hear Blaise and Draco continuing to argue over whether or not Draco's supposedly tragic fortune was accurate or not.

-----

End ch19

Yes, kill me for giving you a ridiculously short chapter, but I am a bit drunk and was only home for a total of 5 hours today. So yeah, no time to write much today. Happy Thanksgiving!!


	20. Chapter 20

CHAPTER 20

The Slytherin dorms were small but comfortable, and Harry found himself sharing a room with 5 other boys, two which resembled giants to his small stature. They were surprisingly nice despite their hostile appearances, and were named Gregory Goyle and Vincent Crabbe. They'd known Draco since, to quote, "He was half the size he is now, if it is even humanly possible to be that short." This had induced the blond to throw a pillow at Gregory's head, prompting a dorm-wide pillow fight that spanned a total of 5 hours. The final victor proved to be a much older boy named Marcus Flint, the current captain of the Slytherin Quidditch Team, a much-envied position. Harry had not deigned to join in the fighting, choosing instead to disappear into a bathroom and take a long shower, something that he knew he wouldn't be able to obtain later due to the number of boys he would be sharing the bathroom with.

Toweling his hair dry, he stepped out into a battlefield, strewn with half-asleep boys and even an occasional girl who'd decided to join in the fun. He shook his head and entered his room, sprawling out on his bed and wondering where Asmodeus had run off to. Half-way through dinner the bastard had crawled out of his messenger bag that he was keeping his essentials in incase his luggage got lost, and meandered out of the Hall. Just as he was getting irritated, he spied the Demon prowling in, looking particularly pleased. He transformed and flopped onto the bed next to Harry, turning his head to meet Harry's eyes.

"Hi." He said, smiling. Harry felt his bit of homesickness go away and he smiled back, climbing onto the Demon's chest and curling up into a comfortable sleeping position. His eyes drifted closed as he began gently running his fingers through his hair, murmuring endearments. Harry slept with a smile of his face, undisturbed with horrifying nightmares or strange sexual dreams involving the man he was currently using as a mattress.

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Asmodeus was a happy man…er…Demon. He had just finished 'negotiating' with Lucifer and was now allowed to touch Harry in human form as much as he wanted, not that he was going to abuse that privilege, since abusing Harry's trust in him was something he really didn't want to do, as hurting the boy has somehow become taboo in his mind.

It was almost like he loved the kid, except Demons can't love anyone but themselves.

But he found himself questioning that as he too fell into a dreamless sleep.

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Dammit, he had stumbled again. James was currently feeling very incompetent as Maalik encouraged him to keep walking towards him, losing his balance frequently. The Healer had assured him that he was doing just fine, despite all the drawbacks they'd had due to not being able to procure the appropriate potions and spell information.

Maalik smiled at him, arms outstretched to catch him when he crossed the rest of the distance between them. James tripped on a raised floorboard at the last moment and fell into his nurse's arms. They ended up sprawled in the floor, nursing various bruises, although Maalik appeared to be blushing brighter than was normal in a situation like this. James smirked internally and 'lost his balance', falling on the young healer a second time.

His blush bloomed even brighter across his cheeks and James' smirk grew across his mind's eye as he leaned closer than was necessary, breathing shallowly against Maalik's neck as though exhausted.

"Well, that was strenuous. Do you mind if I rest a bit?" He could hear Maalik swallow before replying, "No, it's alright. You accomplished a lot more than I thought you could. Your willpower is something incredible, and I admire that."

James raised himself on his elbows and smiled at him. "I think that yours is even greater, for being able to have such patience with me." Maalik smiled back, eyes seeming to sparkle in the fading light coming through the window. James leaned in and pressed a chaste kiss on the soft-looking lips. Maalik eyes went wider than saucers before his blush returned and he reciprocated the kiss, eyes slipping closed and a strong arm wrapping around James' still-tiny waist.

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End ch20

Yes, it was also short, but I've got crap going on today because of Thanksgiving and wanted you guys to have something to read.

Love all of you!

Please let me know if the kiss scene between James and Maalik was satisfactory, or if it was awful. Review!!!


	21. Chapter 21

CHAPTER 21

So far, the classes weren't too challenging, something that irked Harry greatly. He wanted to tested mercilessly, pushed to the very edges of his abilities. But he supposed that the classes were constructed the way they are because of all the muggleborns who had never heard of magic before, thus making them very much in awe of their surroundings.

He was also upset that they were paired with the Gryffindors for most of their classes. The Headmaster must really be crazy if he was that blind to the clear animosity between the Green and Red Houses. Currently, he was in Transfiguration. He'd managed to transform his matchstick into a pin within the first 2 minutes and was now slowly tearing his cuticles to pieces. The teacher, the same strict woman from the sorting, would look at him every few minutes with worry clear in her eyes.

She was quite tall and wiry, looking like she would be more than capable of bludgeoning some knave about the head with a handbag if the need arose. He sniggered quietly at the thought and began to draw a picture of the imagined situation on a scrap of parchement.

---

Minerva considered herself to be a very controlled person most of the time, something she'd worked very hard to achieve for a very long time, but there was just something off about James and Lily's child. His eyes seemed brighter than she'd ever before seen, but were ringed with dark circles that gave him a haunted look. He was thinner than a rail, very little besides skin between his bones and flesh. And the hair! It was long enough for him to be mistaken from a girl behind, hanging in an odd mix of waves, curls, and even a few braids of varying sizes. And his skin! It was so pale it practically glowed. Overall, he was lovely and terrible to look at, and was quite talented magically, from what she'd heard in the staff room during tea.

She couldn't wait to hear about Severus' reaction to the boy in his class tomorrow.

---

The castle moved of its own volition, something that amused Harry endlessly. It appeared to be biased against the Gryffindors, often deliberately moving their next classroom or refusing to move its stairs when they were in a hurry.

Classes were over for the day and Harry was perched on top of a turret, observing the milling students below. The first years were still staring at their surroundings, while a girl with bushy hair and an irritating voice rattled off facts about the castle to anyone who would listen. Harry rolled his eyes and wished he could find Asmodeus and talk about whatever with him. Now that the Demon spent most of his time around Harry, some of it in human form, he had grown to love the sound of his voice. Lately he'd taken to asking him questions about anything so that he could get him to go into a long and detailed explanation.

Asmodeus knew so much information, even if his voice had been annoying Harry would have still sought it out for the sake of knowledge.

Getting cold from the strong winds, he carefully moved himself towards the edge of the turret, grabbing onto the stone decorations and swinging gracefully into the room below through a window. He landed on his feet like a cat and surveyed the room once again. Earlier that day he'd been exploring the various corridors and he'd come across a seemingly random door, which had opened to reveal some stairs leading upwards. Climbing them, he'd entered a small dank room with a few locked trunks in the corner. Shrugging, he decided to see if he could get atop the roof.

Obviously he had succeeded, and was now descending the stairs, intent on seeking out his cat.

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Bronislav Polski was nervous. Very nervous. It had been at least 30 years since he'd seen his brother, so he had no idea how sane he was.

Taking a deep breath, he placed his palm on the door and pushed. It swung open to reveal a normal-looking office, except for a pickled bat in a clear jar on his desk. He mentally shuddered, remembering just who that bat used to be. Sitting in the leather arm chair was Vladimir Polski; hand nursing a glass of what he hoped was wine.

His face broke into a large grin at the sight of his younger brother and he quickly set the glass down and leaped over the desk to embrace him tightly. Bronislav relaxed into the embrace and wrapped his own arms around him.

It had been too long and yet not long enough to leave the horrible memories behind. He could feel them congregating on the edges of his mind, only the warmth of his brother keeping them from overwhelming him and dragging him down to the depths of what he knew was far worse than despair. If he hadn't already been there, he'd say it was like Hell.

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End ch21

Looky, we are getting background info on the good doctor!! Mwahahahaa!

Please review so I can write more.


	22. Chapter 22

This was written while listening to the Swedish pop sensation September. If you haven't heard of her, look her up on Youtube and listen to some of her stuff. She rocks!!

CHAPTER 22

Harry had been at school a month now, and his opinion hadn't changed. It was damn boring! At least he was learning some basic magic to build up from.

Every morning he would wake up at four, curse his internal clock with words no 11 year old had any business knowing, and slump off to take a shower before anyone else woke up to use the loo. He would then get dressed before doing the homework due that day that he might've put off because of the brain-melting boredom it seemed to induce, get interrupted by 'Raito' and be forced to pet him to even get him to move off of his homework. Lately, the Demon had taken to transforming into human form after that and tackling Harry so he'd be able to get in a few kisses while the boy was still too confused to think about his homework.

When the boy could think straight again, although that once took 45 minutes during which Asmodeus was a _very _happy Demon, he would push him away gently and press a few kisses to his neck before continuing his schoolwork. Asmodeus would hover about, play with Harry's hair by putting thousands of tiny braids into it, or offer suggestions when Harry asked for help.

At about 7, Harry would pack up his books for the day; wait for Asmodeus to transform before packing the cat in the bag as well, in a specially-padded section, with his head sticking out so he could see what was going on. Daphne would then come down the stairs, wearing her uniform with her bag slung over a fragile shoulder, sometimes with her hair still damp from her shower.

They would eat breakfast, Harry having a few bites of fruit and Daphne eating far more than a girl her size should be able to hold. After a few minutes, Daphne's room mates Millicent and Pansy would join them. Millicent was a large girl, not in a fat way, but in a very tall way and Pansy was short for her age although she was still taller than Harry. Something that still aggravated him, as Blaise would occasionally tease him about it. Draco was always the last one down, preceded by Blaise, and he only ate a little for breakfast. He'd told Harry that he wasn't used to eating breakfast at all because he often didn't have time since his tutor would come at 6 in the morning.

Setting out for classes, they made sure to stay in their pack to prevent getting bullied by older students in other houses. Harry still didn't understand the animosity the other showed towards them with no provocation whatsoever.

However, they'd reached the potions classroom so he would have to think about life's injustices later.

The teacher wasn't there yet, so Harry deigned to sit in the back in case this one turned out to be nasty. Or have something against short effeminate students. 'Raito' blinked at their new seating arrangement before giving a cat shrug and settling down to sleep. This plan was disturbed by the loud bang that the doors gave, the teacher stalking in with a scowl on his face that looked like it might be permanent.

Harry sat up straighter, an entirely too cheerful smile breaking out over his features. Finally! He had grown sick of the other teachers going so easy on their students. How were they supposed to learn if they were raised in an environment that never told them when they were doing something wrong?

Looking around, he noted the terrified looks on the Gryffindors faces and smiled wider. House of Bravery, his ass. They were far more cowardly than the Hufflepuffs they enjoyed making fun of so much. Harry believed the Yellow House to be far braver than the rest of them for showing their compassion to the world rather than keeping that and any other weakness hidden from view.

"What are you smiling at?" Draco hissed at him, smirking at the rare sight of a Slytherin smiling goofily in plain sight of the other house.

"Nothing." Harry whispered back, eyes twinkling bright enough to rival the Headmaster's.

Potions was his favorite class, Harry decided. The teacher didn't appear to notice their little group in the back, thus sparing them from his sharp tongue and soul-slicing comments.

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End ch22

22 already?! This is my longest one-part fic ever, posted and unposted. Be proud of me!

Remember, you are keeping me alive by reviewing. If you guys stop, so will the updates as my brain will have shriveled and died. Nyah!


	23. Chapter 23

CHAPTER 23

They were at dinner, Harry squished between an arguing Blaise and Draco. Daphne sat across from him next to Theodore Nott, who was doing his transfiguration homework for next week while she read over his shoulder. Only Vincent and Greg were still eating, the rest of them having already finished a few minutes before. Millicent came wandering in late, looking pissed; sitting down on Daphne's other side, she helped herself to some salad, beans, and carrots. Harry blinked. Usually the girl would eat twice as much, with meat and whatever desserts caught her fancy. Since she was taller than them, Harry had never seen anything wrong with it. But from her expression, which now looked like she was holding back tears, he realized that some cruel person must have picked on her for looking heavy because of her height.

It wasn't their fault that school robes were deceiving. She ate a few bites, choked slightly, and then rushed from the table. Harry slid out from between his bickering friends and followed her. He just made it out the doors in time to see her disappear down a hallway that he knew led to a bathroom. She was crying freely now, as there was no one in the hall to see her weakness. Harry sped up, almost running now, to catch her before she entered the dreaded girl's loo.

"Millie!" He called out, skidding to a stop in front of the doors to the loo. Her face was red, tears mixing with clear snot and she sniffled. "M-move, Harry. I need to use the loo."

He shook his head and said, "No, I don't want you going in there by yourself for some mean person to pick on you." His eyes caught sight if a broom closet behind them. "Here, lets go in the closet instead. You can cry all you want and nobody will notice but me. How does that sound?" She sniffled again and nodded. He opened the door for her and led her to sit on the most comfortable-looking bucket. She smiled weakly before breaking down again, loud sobs wracking her, making her whole body shake.

Harry slid off his own stool and sat next to hers on the floor, rubbing her back in comforting circles. "Do you want to tell me what happened?" He whispered, stroking her hair now. She nodded and pulled herself together a bit. "I-I was just minding my own business, walking to dinner when some Ravenclaws walked past. They laughed when they saw me and called me a fat girl and said that I had no right to be a selfish pig, eating whatever I liked. I don't even know them and they said those things!" She looked angry now, fists clenching in her lap. Harry nodded in agreement, handing her his handkerchief.

"Do you remember what they looked like?"

Millicent paused, tilting her head. "Um, I didn't get a good look at both of them, but one was a first year like us, and Asian too. That's all I saw."

"Well, good thing there is only one Asian first year in Ravenclaw." He rose, Millicent watching him in confusion. "Where are you going?"

He grinned like feral wolf. "To go curse some first years, of course. You coming?"

She grinned fiercely back and nodded.

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Cho Chang was lying on the floor of an empty library, two figures standing before her, wands drawn. She shook slightly, terrified. What had she done to deserve this? She was a good person!

The last thing she saw before it all went black was a pair of green eyes, shining with the light of hell fire. She screamed.

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End ch23

Behold, evil Harry!! grabs Voldemort and makes him laugh evilly

Review and I'll write more!


	24. Chapter 24

CHAPTER 24

_Flashbackyoufools!_

_Bronislav trembled, crouched down in his closet and hoping to God, the Devil, or any other god willing to listen, that he would not be found. Beside him his brother Vlad was curled into an awkward position, trying not to put pressure on his broken leg. Sensing his younger brother looking at him, he rasped, "What is it, Broni?"_

"_D-do you think they're gone yet?"_

"_I don't know. Want to crack the door just a peek?"_

_Instead of replying, Bronislav leaned over his brother and silently turned the knob to the door, allowing it to open the barest bit. He pressed his face to the frame, letting one brown eye peer out, scanning as much of the room as possible. Half of it had been blown off from the bombs, the last remaining pieces of plaster blackened beyond recognition. He could see some brownish substance and something shriveled on the floor and fought the urge to vomit. That was all that remained of their mother. _

_Their selfish father had turned traitor at the last moment, abandoning his invalid of a wife and 3 children. Bronislav had to hold back to tears when he thought of their younger brother. Alexi, at age 2, hadn't stood a chance against the exposure that had plagued them while they were on the run and had died within the first 6 months. _

_After nearly 4 years, they'd found an abandoned house, thinking that they were finally safe from those who hunted them. A happy 2 months passed, their mother starting to smile a bit. Then the new war had come. It was a complete accident that the one house they were staying was bombed. Their mother had screamed at them to go to the basement and not come out no matter what. Unfortunately, the neighbor's house had been bombed just then, shaking the ground so much that parts of the hard-packed dirt broke apart, one of the crevices catching his brother's leg. While they frantically tried to pry him free, stray explosions sent another shockwave through the earth, making a large chunk of the house fall off and crush Vladimir's leg. He'd managed to drag his brother into the house and into a hall closet that had a trapdoor leading to the cellar. His mother had been about to join them when a bomb had hit the house and her. _

_Crawling out of the closet, he resolutely avoided looking at the smoking pile of flesh that was their remaining parent, instead concentrating on supporting his brother. _

_They were 9 and 11 years old at the time. _

_EndFlashback_

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Today they had Defense Against the Dark Arts class. From what he'd heard, the teacher was a stuttering joke. Harry couldn't agree more. The man came stumbling in, tripping over his purple robes twice before reaching his desk. He attempted to smile at the Slytherins and was greeted with bored looks, evil smirks, and a few rather terrifying smiles, the kind of smiles one gives right before shooting the man you found sleeping with your wife. Or a similar situation that usually ended in flying limbs, spattered blood and yellow brain fluids, and screams that are not commonly heard from human lungs.

One child was giving him a particularly vicious look, green eyes glinting in the sparse autumn sunshine. He gulped.

Harry smiled wider, fingers absently stroking a black-feathered quill which looked sharp enough to slice your arm off. A blond girl next to him snickered and took the quill from his hands, handing him a blue one instead. She then turned to look straight at him and smirked in a way that quite clearly said 'I know what you did last night and will now blackmail you with pictures of it'.

Oh, how he hated the little devils in green.

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Draco officially hated his life. His older brother Julius had spread stories about him, saying that he was a spoiled brat who would lie to you and steal from you. Any hopes he might have had for a peaceful relationship with the older students in his house was ruined. The kids on his year were great, though, and hadn't believed the stories for a minute.

His friend Harry had even stood up to Julius in the middle of the Common Room and called him a liar, said that the stories were only true about _him, _not Draco.

He'd hugged Harry tightly afterwards, until the brunette had begun to struggle, saying that he couldn't breathe.

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End ch24

Hope you guys liked it!


	25. Chapter 25

CHAPTER 25

Maalik was still asleep, lashes creating shadows on his cheeks in the soft light coming through the window drapes, reflections of the street lamps outside. James smiled, getting out of bed and setting about making the first pot of tea for the day.

As he worked near-silently, he could hear the Healer stirring, brown eyes flecked with gold and green slowly slipping open. He heard the rustle of the sheets, the padding of bare feet on wood floorboards, and finally the young man came to stand next to him, tugging the drapes open to reveal the still-dark street below. Maalik smiled at him and murmured a thank you for making the tea before opening a few cupboards, looking for the packets of instant porridge. James grinned at him, opening the cabinet above his head, pulling out the sought-after food. He dangled it in front of the shorter Healer's nose, making him mock-glare at his patient. Not that there was anything wrong with him anymore, a month of care having done wonders. He'd resolved to write a letter to Snape, apologizing for ever questioning the true power of potions.

Maalik finally leaped up and deftly caught the packet, huffing as he set it in a bowl, taking the kettle with the remaining hot water in it and pouring it over the dried food.

Maalik made the second bowl for James while the older man began to rinse some peaches, cutting them in half and removing the pits when he was done.

They sat down on the tiny sofa, bowls cradled in their laps while they drank tea and chatted about whatever the latest horrible mishap at the hospital had been. Afterwards, Maalik took out his notes for a medical textbook, and James set to work studying advanced Defense Against the Dark Arts.

He did, however, find time to pause and stare at the way the light made Maalik's hair glow brighter than an angel's halo. Smiling, he would continue studying until he could find some sort of mental excuse to once again fix his eyes on the youth.

It escaped his notice that Maalik was doing the same.

-------

Regulus didn't like sports. Or extra physical activity in general, preferring the strenuous mental exercises of a scholar. However, he was willing to make an exception where his brother was concerned. Sirius was currently sprawled on the floor of their library, whining about how he couldn't properly play Quidditch because the Wizarding world thought they were dead. As for playing with Muggles…well, that is a moot point.

This had been going on for the past _2 hours _and he was starting to get a twitch in his left eyebrow. And if it wasn't his brother, it was the entirely too cheerful mockingbird outside the window, trilling its heart out to all who would listen. Getting fed up, he snapped his wand up and hissed, "_Avada Kedavra!" _Smirking evilly when the sinister green light hit the irritating bird, he missed the look of utter shock on Sirius' face.

"Um, are you alright?" He asked nervously, restraining the urge to get up and run screaming from the room. They'd come to terms with their different magic preferences years ago. But that didn't make it any less unsettling to see it like this.

Regulus spun around, lips quirked into a smile. He sank to his knees on the carpet and crawled towards his brother, saying, "Well, now that you've chosen to silence yourself, let's keep it that way, yes?" He was now perched atop his chest, thin fingers tracing patterns through the shirt of Sirius' heaving chest.

Oh, how he loved getting his brother's heart to beat so very fast, its frantic drumming beneath his fingers far more arousing than it should be. He bent and touched his lips to Sirius', waiting for him to respond before continuing. His tongue slipped into the other's mouth, inducing a moan of longing when it's presence remained brief.

He abruptly propped himself up on his elbows and then to his feet, leisurely sauntering out the door. At the last minute he turned and asked, "Are you coming or not, Sirius? My back hurts too much to make love on the carpet."

Sirius grinned and hopped to his feet, gracefully stalking over to where his younger brother was waiting. Towering over him, he leaned down to kiss just below his ear. "Oh, but this hallway can't be that uncomfortable…"

Regulus tilted his head and smiled deviously.

"Oh, but it will be for you, big brother."

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Kyahhh! Ok, yeah I know there isn't any Harry in this, but the subplots demanded attention.

Review!


	26. Chapter 26

CHAPTER 26

Daphne had very sharp nails. Harry had discovered this when they'd been playing some sort of game that involved her chasing him around the halls, shrieking declarations of affection. When she'd reached out to grab his arm, her nails had swiped across the skin bared by his t-shirt, making 4 claw marks. She'd apologized afterwards and hovered anxiously over him while the school nurse bandaged it, asking if she could do anything to help. The nurse, Madam Pomfrey, had smiled benignly at them, cooing over how 'adorable' they were and how they would be such heartbreakers when they got older.

"Now, I am noticing some interesting magical patterns coming off of you. I would like you to take this potion so I can be sure that you don't have a serious injury that your magic is trying to heal." Harry made to decline, but she forced the yellow liquid down his throat, making sure he drank every drop. Daphne started laughing when Harry made a face, not much liking the taste of the potion she gave him.

He started to glow a bright green, making Madam Pomfrey gasp and lean closer, examining his eyes. "Dear Merlin!" She exclaimed, looking far more excited than Harry found strictly necessary.

"What?" He asked, getting annoyed.

"W-who is your guardian, young man? The magic only glows that color when you have been in regular contact with a being of extreme magical prowess to the point of your own signature absorbing and changing to become something similar."

"Um…His name is Bronislav Polski. I don't know if he is magical or not, since we never talked about it before I got my letter."

"Polski, Polski…Let me check the school records and see if I can find him. After all, every magical child living in the United Kingdom attends this school." Pomfrey left the room, heading towards one of the smaller doors that were close to her office.

Looking at each other, they shrugged. Healers were crazy.

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End ch26

Yes, yes, you can shoot me or something, but I am going to be busy today and have no idea how much time I'm going to be able to spare for writing this fic.

Review!


	27. Chapter 27

CHAPTER 27

Bronislav quit his job at the hospital, saying that he wanted to do something new with his life to anyone who asked. In reality, he'd received an emergency call from the Russian Vampire Organization saying that they'd detected a strange new threat to the world and needed help eradicating it before some idiot decided to play hero and botch it further.

He was now in his apartment, packing everything he considered to be of value. The furniture had been cheap, and could be replaced when he moved. The books posed the largest problem, filling most of the closets and covering any spare bit of space. Sighing, he miniaturized them and packed them all very tightly into a large shoulder satchel. Lightening it with a charm, he grabbed his portkey and disappeared, heading to go offer his services to AFANASEI.

Hopefully they would recognize him before they killed him.

-----

Harry idled in the nurse's office, watching his Saturday slip away with each tick of the clock in the hospital wing. Daphne had had to leave earlier, as she had some research in the library that had to be done. She'd promised to come back when it was finished, and said that she hoped he wouldn't still be sitting there waiting for the nurse to come back.

He wished he had a book. His eyes caught sight of the Healer's manuals lining the walls and he decided that the healer wouldn't be _too _upset with him for reading them to avoid killing off any more of his brain cells. Standing on his toes, he took down the first one to catch his eye "_Seizures and How to Cause, Prevent, and Cure Them" _by Wilhelmina Walden. Flipping it open, he ran his finger down the table of contents until he found the "How to Cause Seizures" section.

He grinned, and started reading.

---

Two hours later, one Poppy Pomfrey came bustling back in, looking quite disappointed. Looking around, she didn't see the rather interesting Slytherin boy anywhere. She was about to summon a house elf to hunt him down when she caught sight of his petite figure curled up on the floor, small hands cradling one of her more questionable tomes. He was smiling in a way that would no doubt terrify someone not used to seeing people with shattered bones, torn faces, and other such horrors. Looming over him, she cleared her throat. He looked up, and then continued reading.

She scowled, now remembering why Slytherins were her worst patients. They just couldn't be bothered to give a damn.

Deciding to just tell him, she opened her mouth and said, "Well, I hate to tell you this, but there hasn't been a Polski attending this school since the 14th century. And they're Russian, in case you wanted to know that."

"Oh, I could have told you that." Harry said, finally appearing to be paying attention.

She glared. He gulped and shrank back, asking, "Um, what was the name of the Polski attending here?"

"Ivanna, despite that not being a Russian name." Harry nodded, seeming to slowly drift away from the present, pupils growing smaller and smaller until she could see nothing but two tiny black dots, the rest glowing a far brighter green than the potion had induced. She gasped, realizing that something wasn't normal about this boy. He was too thin, too pale, and too _old _to be called a child.

"What are you?" She breathed. He snapped out of it, eyes returning to normal.

"A human being. Why?" He replied, head tilting to the side not unlike a curious bird.

"Uh, nothing. Nothing at all." She laughed nervously. Maybe she was seeing things. Sure, the boy was paler than usual and a little thin for his age group, but that could just be his bone structure. He stared at her like she was crazy and asked if he could go. She nodded, feeling strangely numb.

--------

Bronislav landed lightly on his feet, body crouching slightly to absorb the shock of the sudden presence of gravity. A gun's safety clicked off, the freezing metal pressed to his temple. He raised his hands in a sign of surrender and turned his head to smile benignly at the guard. Red eyes looked at him, terrified before the trigger was pulled.

The bullet shoved through his skull, passing out through the other side. His skull shattered, brain matter and fluids covering the shaking vampire and surrounding walls. The headless body slumped boneless to the ground, red blood seeping out of the neck. For 9 seconds, everything was still. Then one of the pieces of bone twitched minutely. Ion, the guard, began to shiver as he watched the pieces suddenly fly together, re-forming the head of the intruder. The eyes became rounded again, brown irises melding together again.

Then the head shot out rapidly, affixing itself to the neck of the prone body. The man gave a tremor, breath leaving and entering the lips. Raising himself on his arms, the man stood up and towered over the guard. But he didn't look angry in the least, something that set Ion on edge further. They always told him to watch out for the ones who were never surprised. It meant that they'd done everything and survived, usually at the expense of whoever had been with them. The brunette reached into his pocket and removed a gold coin covered with the signature runes reserved for only the most valuable allies of their organization.

This man was one of _Them, _the ones that couldn't be killed by any Mortal Creature and were denied access to Death. It was said they were too strong for the system, and them staying there for longer than 9 months could make the entire hierarchy of Heaven collapse. Hell didn't appear to be affected by them, so they were said to visit the Demons quite often.

And he'd just attempted to paint the walls with a fresh coat of his blood. His shaking became seizure-like and he vomited, thinking that he would be shredded to pieces and forcibly sent to the worst possible level of Hell, the one that Satan reigned over for so much as daring to meet his eyes.

However, the man just walked over his body, breaching the wards effortlessly. He even waved over his shoulder before disappearing into the fog that permanently covered their location, keeping it undetectable by the rest of the world.

-------

End ch27

So, I've always wanted to do a story where there were immortals in it, and it fits with the mood I'm trying to infuse this with. If you don't like, I am very sorry but will continue in this path.


	28. Chapter 28

CHAPTER 28

_Flashback_

_This new school was almost exactly like the last one. Made from weathered gray stone and red brick, the windows had metal bars in front of the glass. It looked like a prison, and Bronislav didn't want to go. His brother was still at the other school, and being separated from him with no way to communicate was making him feel like his heart was being stomped on repeatedly. The nasty social worker with him gave his back a rough shove when he noticed that the brat was stalling again. Why he always got the weird kids, he would never know. This one stared off into space looking like he was about to cry, and was somehow carrying both his trunk and the social worker's briefcase while showing no sign of being tired in the least. _

_They finally made it to the door, after much shoving on Mark's behalf to the scrawny brat. _

_The matron was accommodating and soon had the boy set up in a room with several others. When she'd left, the other boys stared him up and down, taking in his clothes that were even more tattered than their own and deduced that he wouldn't be a threat. He smiled weakly at them before curling up on his bed, asleep. _

_He dreamed of being with his family. Not the one that had consisted of him, his brothers, and his mother, but the new one he had formed at his other school and along the long journey they had taken across the battered countryside, looking for anyone alive. Thankfully it had been summer so they were able to live off of the abandoned gardens of the evacuated citizens, although they'd felt guilty doing so. Their mother had always told them that stealing was wrong and they didn't want her to be in Heaven, watching them disobey her. Along the way they'd met 3 other orphaned children, 2 boys and a girl. The boys had been best friends named William and Peter, and William's little sister was named Rebecca. She was mute, though, from a piece of sharp wood that had cut her neck really bad. She was always wearing bandages on it, to keep it from opening again. _

_Both William and Rebecca had had brown hair and eyes, and tanned skin. William said it was because he'd just got back from a holiday to the beach before the evacuation. Their family had missed it, hiding in their shelter. When they came out and saw that everyone was gone, their parents had taken turns scavenging from other people's houses for food. _

_One day their father didn't come back. Shortly after that, their mother had fallen through some unnoticed loose flooring and landed on a pile of sharp antique farming tools that had been in a glass case. It killed her. _

_Peter had been at a relative's house, but they couldn't support him anymore and sent him home, thinking his family was still there. William was at the old train station, eating some mint that grew behind the platform when he'd heard footsteps. Thinking it was Rebecca, he called out to her, standing up to see her and make sure she didn't fall because he wouldn't be able to hear her if she had an accident. Instead, he saw Peter, standing there with his suitcase and a goldfish in a jar. They'd hugged and bounced up and down, happy beyond belief to see another human being. _

_About 2 months after that had happened to them, they'd come across Vladimir and Bronislav. They gathered as much food as there was to be had and had spent the winter in the largest bomb shelter, since they had natural heating. _

_When it was warm again, they ventured out and found new food in the canned goods store that was in the town. They didn't like going to the town because it had suffered the most damage. The dead people were still there, and William always covered his sister's eyes when they went there. _

_Eventually, they migrated through a total of 6 towns, and reached a city that had been re-populated. Immediately the social workers had descended upon them, separating them and sending them to various schools for orphaned refugees. _

_Until now, Bronislav hadn't been separated from his brother and had hoped to keep it that way, but life just didn't work that way. _

_He spent 3 years at the school and didn't talk to one person the entire time. When he turned 16, he was sent out into the streets to work for the recovery teams. And 4 years after that he'd gotten apprenticed to a doctor s he could pursue his dreams of helping people become whole again._

_He hadn't found Vladimir again until a grand total of 42 years later. His brother's sanity was questionable, but that didn't stop them from loving each other. Much had happened during the 40-some years they'd been separated, including Bronislav's strange metamorphosis into someone who could never truly die, something that he still kept a secret from his only remaining family._

_End Flashback_

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Harry was taking another of his nightly strolls, Asmodeus accompanying him as they poked their heads into whatever rooms caught their interest. The portraits had gotten used to him, and any of them that weren't sleeping greeted him pleasantly when he nodded at them. Asmodeus was reading a large black volume that he refused to let Harry look at, looking uncharacteristically serious. Deciding that Asmodeus needed some love, Harry abruptly hugged his leg. The Demon lowered the book and blinked at him.

"Um, did you need something Harry? You know that you can just ask, right?"

Those pretty smiled at him and Harry hugged him leg tighter, pressing his face to his hip. "I don't need anything, but you do."

"Oh really? And what is it that I need so badly and am unaware of?" He couldn't resist smiling at the boy, reaching down to stroke his hair.

"You need some love." Harry replied, smirking. Asmodeus raised an eyebrow. "And just how am I going to get this love, oh wise one?"

"Well, you could sit down so I can reach your mouth or you could remain standing and pick me up. Whichever would work, really."

Before Harry could think of anything else to say, the brunette had lifted him up, bridal style, and was shrinking his book to put in his pocket. "Well, now that you mention it, I am feeling a little neglected." Harry looked mock-sympathetic and patted his head.

"Well, you won't be anymore, oh mighty Demon. Allow my mortal hands to soothe your troubled heart." Asmodeus was staring at him. "What?" He asked, looking embarrassed.

Asmodeus just smiled and shook his head a bit before gently kissing his cheek. "Nothing, just love you is all." Harry's face turned bright red, but Asmodeus missed it, head buried in the boy's neck, mouthing his jugular.

Things progressed and it was a mutual decision to move to somewhere where they didn't have the possibility of an audience. They entered an abandoned classroom with all the desks and chairs pushed to the side. There was an enormous mirror taking up the other side of the room. Harry was about to look in it when Asmodeus covered his eyes.

"You don't want to look into that, Harry. It won't do any good."

Since he trusted the demon, he nodded and turned around, arms wrapped tightly around him in an embrace. The mirror was forgotten.

----

End ch28

Hope you guys liked it! Any questions are appreciated.


	29. Chapter 29

CHAPTER 29

Several months had passed, and it was now the Christmas Holidays. Harry had been expecting to be sent home to stay with his guardian, but received a letter and a package from the man instead. It said:

_Dear Harry,_

_I have come across some family problems and cannot spend time with you this Christmas. I am very sorry, and I miss you very much. I hope you haven't caused any problems at your school and that you are making friends. If all goes well here, you could be able to meet my brother during the summer holidays. He'd like you a lot. I've included a Christmas present for you and I hope you like it. _

_Take care of yourself and be careful, dammit!_

_Bronislav_

_p.s. Do you still have that weird cat of yours?_

Harry set the letter aside and opened the package. A book on magical cat species was inside. He smiled and hugged the book. His guardian just might be a mind reader.

----

Asmodeus had received a message from Lucifer and said he needed to go deal with something. Harry had gotten very, very depressed at the prospect of spending Christmas alone. Draco had to go home for some kind of family tradition, Blaise, Theo, Daphne, Greg, and Vince were all going to the same party and Millicent was going to Switzerland. This left him all by his lonesome.

It was Christmas Eve and he was curled up on the Common Room floor, reading the book on Magical Cats that his guardian had given him. It was actually very entertaining and he lost track of time reading it. By the time he realized that he just might want to go eat something, it was 2 in the morning.

Deciding that there weren't that many people out who might catch him, since he usually waited until it was about 3:30, he marked his place in the book and tucked it into his bag. Hefting it, he slipped out of the stone façade and meandered upwards, thinking of where the kitchen could possibly be. Finding this rather pointless, he tracked down his house ghost, The Bloody Baron, and greeted him as politely as he was able. The ghost turned and eyed him sternly. "Foolish child, are you trying to bring shame on our house by wandering at night? Surely you don't have the skill required to avoid being caught."

Harry smirked and replied, "Oh, I take a walk most evenings. Sleep doesn't fancy my company. I was wondering if you would be willing to disclose the location of the kitchens."

"And what would I get in return?" The ghost asked, looking at him in a new light.

"Do you want to die?"

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End ch29

Yeah, its short. Review!


	30. Chapter 30

CHAPTER 30

The ghost laughed a sinister undertone to it. "Die, child? In case it passed you by, I am already dead. Continue like this and you could be too."

Harry just smiled and shook his head. "Were you denied entrance to Hell?" He asked, voice echoing around the corridor of its own volition.

"Yes, I was. And until I can find some way to bypass the system, I shall remain here observing senseless brats attempt to carry on Salazar's great legacy."

"I thought so. I take it you don't enjoy your duties?"

"Obviously, as I currently want very much to wring your fragile neck until you can not breathe and become as I."

"I…see. What if I, I don't know, could possibly know just a little bit about bypassing the system's rules?" Suddenly the ghost was very close to him, freezing the blood in his veins as the baron looked piercingly into his eyes. He seemed to be amazed, and slowly drifted away a few feet. His voice was a mere whisper when he said, "You do not lie. Such information is indeed cocooned in your mind. And you would impart this upon me, for the mere price of being shown the kitchens?"

Harry's eyes shifted and he replied, "Well, I was hoping for a tour of the entire castle, secret passages and tunnels included, and then getting some food at the kitchen. But I decided that that would be too much to ask of you."

The Baron smiled down at him, which was rather creepy as his teeth had blood stuck to them, and said, "It is no trouble. For another chance at eternal rest I would do far more."

Green eyes glinted. "Could you…perhaps show me the 'Chamber of Secrets'? If it exists, that is." In his extensive reading on the castle, he had come across ghost rumors of a secret chamber made by Salazar himself. It had piqued his interest, and he was determined to get a look at it if it was still standing.

The ghost smirked deviously. This one wasn't as foolish as the others, and he didn't speak of petty things. He also didn't appear to be nervous in the least.

"The…Chamber can only be opened by the Heir himself. But I can show the doors that lead to it."

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It was 7 in the morning when Harry at last finished his tour. The entrance to the Chamber had been very cleverly concealed in an out of order girl's loo. There had also been a very irritating female ghost residing there, but the Baron's presence had silenced her. Harry was going to inscribe the appropriate magic circle at 9 o'clock that evening, if the winds blew in the proper patterns. And, should everything go as planned, the Slytherin House Ghost would be ghost no more, free to proceed to Heaven as a reward for waiting in the land of the living for so long.

------

Maalik knew that falling in love with a patient could only end in tragedy, but he just couldn't help it. James was wonderful. Why some idiot described him, in his medical profile, as a psychopath he still had no idea. The man was perfectly sane. There was a possibility that it could have been a gesture of extreme grief, after all his wife and best friends had perished in the fight, but there was something very suspicious about the complete sedated state they'd put him in. Maybe he knew something he shouldn't and somebody had wanted to kill him off quietly?

He was currently taking a nap, sprawled out on the couch and looking completely at home. Maalik smiled and curled up next to him on the couch, resting his head on James's chest. The older man shifted and wrapped an arm around his shoulders, pulling him closer.

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End ch30

OMG! This thing is already 30 chapters long! This means a celebration. Pocky for everyone! If you don't know what Pocky is, go to an Asian market and buy some.

Review so I can celebrate too! 


	31. Chapter 31

CHAPTER 31

It was Christmas, but it didn't feel any different. The teachers drank and ate and laughed and drank some more and maybe said more than they should to each other only to forget it come morning.

Harry watched all of this impassively, inwardly concentrating on building his magic into a condensed ball of energy that he could use to power the ritual to send the Baron to Heaven since he couldn't summon the necessary Angels. Well, he could, but they would never listen to some 11 year old kid.

Since he was a bit bored, he'd finished the cat book that morning, he decided to practice making people have seizures. Casting his gaze about the small crowd currently residing in the Great Hall, it landed on one Miss Chang.

Smirking, he reached into his pocket and removed the tip of his wand, pointing it at her under the one table the students had been crowded into. Murmuring the incantation so quietly he was barely on the sound charts, his wand shot out a dull blue flash of …something, since it wasn't light. The Asian girl froze for a moment, and then slowly began to shake, the movements quickly becoming far more violent, eventually catching the attention of the only sober teachers, Professor Snape and Professor Quirrel. By this time she was shrieking and rolling about on the floor, her head bleeding from where it had smacked against the stone. Snape rushed over, closely followed by a gibbering Quirrel, kneeling beside the girl who had knocked herself unconscious by bashing her head particularly hard on the floor after performing several painful-looking arching movements. The students appeared horrified, and a few Hufflepuffs were actually in hysterics, but Mr. Potter looked almost amused.

Black eyes narrowed. This was something that he would have to look into later. If that boy was anything like his parents, trouble would stick to him faster than silver to a magnet.

The girl's body was now quite still, and Quirrel had actually made himself useful by calling for the nurse while Severus examined the Ravenclaw for any hidden injuries that might have been inflicted upon her person that could have possibly caused this apparently random attack. Seriously, a student having _seizures? _

-----

Harry waited until he was in the privacy of his deserted dorm before unleashing his stifled laughter. Cho's face had been priceless! His tears of mirth muddled his vision to the point that he didn't notice the figure sitting on his bed, but he did when he flopped down on something that was certainly not his mattress. Or Asmodeus, for that matter,

since he wasn't this soft. Twisting himself into an 'attack' position, he examined the intruder. He seemed familiar, the short blond hair reminding him of Draco slightly but that was where the similarities ended.

"Who are you?" He finally asked, realizing that the man wasn't going to introduce himself.

"Miraton." The man said voice soothing, bringing fields of peace and fluffy things like kittens and little kids to mind. Harry didn't trust him. The blond moved to sit up and Harry whipped out his wand, pointing it between his eyes.

"The wards are supposed to impossible to breach unless you are authorized by the Headmaster himself. So either you are the much-desired teaching replacement for Professor Quirrel, or you are an extremely powerful being who is out to get me."

"Heh, neither. I'm an Angel and I was sent by God the Shining One to assist you in the sending of the ghost of one Baron Kristopher."

Harry blinked. "H-how did you know that I'm sending him?" His eyes grew narrow. "Are you spying on me or something equally illegal and nefarious?"

The 'Angel' smirked and replied, "HE sees everything, so it's technically not spying. But back to the ritual, you're conducting it tonight?" He nodded, deciding that if this guy knew so much, he was pretty much dead anyway.

-----

End ch31

For those of you who have forgotten who Miraton is, he is in one of the earlier chapters as one of the 5 Angels used to summon and banish souls. Tell me what you think of him so far, if you think you've had enough time to get a grasp of his personality.

Review!


	32. Chapter 32

CHAPTER 32

The roof was covered by a thick layer of ice topped with some slush, so Harry had to pick his way carefully. The alleged 'Angel' with him was striding confidently 2 inches above the ground. Harry scowled.

Reaching the very center of the platform, he performed several drying spells. This done, he inspected the area to make sure nothing had changed since that morning when he'd skipped breakfast to pick a location for the ritual. Satisfied that all was as it should be, he removed his stick of specially treated chalk and began to trace the Circle. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Miraton doing the same, fingers moving rapidly as he inscribed the symbols. Suddenly Harry remembered where he had seen the man before.

He had been one of the 5 Angels that had sent him back to his body when he had been having his stint in Hell. Thinking of Hell made him think of Asmodeus, who still hadn't come back. Sighing, he connected the last two lines of the Circle and stood back to examine it, all nine points correctly in symmetry with the rest of the circle. Miraton came to stand next to him, blond curls swinging erratically with the wind. Harry smirked, happy that he'd thought to tie his own hair back before venturing up here.

The Baron floated up through the floor and stood in the center of the Circle while Harry recited the words from memory, Miraton's voice echoing him. 2 hours later the ghost shot upwards, seeming to rip the air in half as he ascended barely slowly enough for human eyes to see. Harry smiled and vanished the chalk before turning to go downstairs. He was about to go through the door when he noticed that Miraton wasn't with him. In confusion, he turned to ask what was wrong. Instead, he was treated to the sight of a pair of wings the color of the sun spring out of Miraton's back, the Angel also disappearing into the night sky.

'_Well, I'll be damned. He wasn't lying…' _

----------

Someone was knocking on the door to Maalik's quarters, and he already knew who it would be. It was the Head Healer come to inspect him and his methods of caring for his patient. Since he was ordered to keep James sedated, he had no idea of how serious the consequences for his disobedience was going to be. He didn't care if he was fired, he just hoped that he'd be able to take James with him before they tried to kill him through sedatives again.

Taking a deep breath, he opened the door. The Healer had two aides and 3 Aurors with him in case there was a problem. Maalik smiled, hiding his nervousness. Behind him, James stood with his arms crossed, trying not to growl at the people who were clearly making his adorable savior uncomfortable. The Healer opened his mouth, caught sight of James, and shut it with a click. His eyes darted around what he could see of the rooms over their shoulders, and it looked very clean and very much like 2 people were living there. Opening the folder, he handed it to Maalik and asked, "Is there an explanation of why you revived a patient under strict orders to keep him sedated?"

Maalik swallowed and stuttered, "I- Uh, sir, I can explain this rationally if you'd just listen-" He was cut off by the Healer gesturing for the Aurors to seize him. Maalik now sandwiched between two muscled officers who had no intention of letting him go.

"Healer Maalik, you are being discharged forcibly and stripped of your Healer status for daring to revive a clearly insane patient who was sedated for the safety of the Wizarding and Muggle population. Your belongings will be packed by House Elves and sent outside to you in 30 minutes. Is there anything you would like to say before we-" James had decided that staying passive while Maalik had his life torn to shreds just didn't agree with him.

"Now see here." He interrupted, stepping between the Healer and the Aurors holding Maalik. "I don't what idiot decided to prescribe a sedative in the first place, but I can assure that there must have been some kind of mistake. I am not, nor have ever been, mentally instable and no one in my family has ever been either. Maalik was just doing his job as a Healer when he revived me. If you could release him, we can forget this mess and go on with life."

The Healer sniffed and said, "No, you may seem lucid now but I'm sure a maniac is waiting just beneath the surface of your clever façade. Maalik is being discharged, and you will be re-sedated and assigned to a new Healer." He paused to send a disapproving look at Maalik. "One who follows orders."

James scowled and replied, "If Maalik is leaving, so am I. You can't stop a lucid patient with no family from leaving a hospital. It's in the books." The brunette then wrenched a stunned Maalik from the two Aurors who were apparently all muscle and no brain, slamming the door of their quarters after entering.

Healer Wimberley stood there with his mouth open for several minutes, only interrupted when the two men pushed past him, hands clutching bags that apparently contained their possessions and furniture.

All that was going through his mind was that James Potter was alive. And sane. This meant that a lot of carefully laid plans were now in shambles, and it could only get worse.

---

End ch32

Oooohhh, the mystery grows! Heh. Review please.


	33. Chapter 33

CHAPTER 33

Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore was sitting in his office, feeling perfectly happy and content with life. That usually meant something was about to go horribly, horribly wrong.

Healer Wimberley suddenly tumbled spectacularly out of his fire place, scattering ashes and bits of burning wood all over his favorite rug that the Sheikh ruling the Indian Ministry of Magic had given him 42 years ago. "Tea?" He offered, trying to look welcoming even as he plotted how to get the man fired for ruining his prized rug.

"S-sir! James Potter is alive and has exited the Hospital!" Albus choked on his tea.

"What!? I told you to kill him with sedatives when we had him placed there in the first place." His eyes narrowed. "Are you being disloyal to me, John?"

"No, sir! My loyalty to the Light has never been stronger. May I be struck dead if I am lying."

Albus looked into his eyes casually and quickly assessed the man's loyalties using Occlumency. His heart was still strongly with them. Satisfied, he leaned back and asked, "Care to explain how James is still alive after over 3 years on the serum? You know as well as I do that he was weak when we placed him there. It should have killed him after a mere 2 months on it. You _do _understand what kind of freakish magic runs in that family, right John? Why we need to exterminate it before it destroys everything we have worked so hard for? If you do, you must find James and kill him in any way possible. And remember, shoot him in the heart. We can't have him coming back to haunt us, can we?"

John numbly shook his head, rising from his seat. "I understand, sir. He will be dead for sure this time next year."

Albus smiled in his most benign manner and said, "I knew you wouldn't disappoint me."

-------

It was very cold on the roof, but he continued to sit there, looking over the Forbidden Forest. If it wasn't so cold, he might have gone for a walk in it. The rest of the students were due back today and he didn't want to get trampled by the mob by planting himself anywhere near the dorms. The tower next to him was giving off a lot of noise, some of the voices recognizable as Gryffindors. He shook his head. Didn't they think of putting silencing charms around it to keep it hidden from other students?

He strained his eyes and managed to get them to focus on the blurry figures behind the glass. Two figures with bright red hair suddenly threw a window open, exclaiming that the dorm was too stuffy and they needed some air. One of them, the quieter one, noticed Harry sitting on the roof of a tower next to theirs and almost imperceptibly tapped his brother's lower back with the tips of his fingers. Making it look perfectly natural, the other twin turned a looked out, eyes catching sight of Harry, who was practically blending in with the black shingles in his cloak. Most likely the only thing making him visible was his skin. He waved at them. They cheerfully waved back before turning to back to their dorm. Coming to the decision that he was no longer safe, he slid off the roof and to a window. Gracefully twisting himself in midair while still preventing himself from falling to a nasty death, he landed in yet another dusty abandoned room.

A pair of glowing eyes surveyed him. Harry stopped in his tracks, breath puffing in and out as he tried not to panic. Panicking wasn't really his style, but being faced with an unknown creature that possibly wanted to kill him always freaked him out.

"C-can I help you?" He asked, voice slightly hoarse from a slight sore throat.

"Maybe. Do you know where I can find Harry Potter?"

"I'll tell you if you tell me what you want with him. Otherwise I'm afraid he doesn't exist." Harry swallowed when the figure straightened and approached him, now looming over him.

"I have a message for him." He held up a thick envelope made from thick black paper, green ink in spidery handwriting. It was addressed to him. "I'm Harry. Can I ask who sent you?"

The figure smiled, red eyes glinting. "Asmodeus sent me, and I'm going to burn his ass when I get back for turning me into a messenger boy."

Harry's eyes lit up and he clutched the letter to his heart, ecstatic to hear from his wayward 'cat'. "T-thank you so much! Can I ask your name?"

The Demon suddenly seemed uncomfortable in the face of such a pretty young face smiling up at him. He was too used to screams of terror. "Uh, I'm Satan. I…I guess I can see why he spends so much time with you."

Green eyes continued to sparkle and Satan shifted awkwardly, not quite knowing what to do with himself. Then the kid hugged him, something nobody had done since long before he'd fallen. He found himself blushing and accidentally triggered his travel channel, re-appearing in his level of Hell.

Not wanting to continue feeling that fuzzy and happy, he summoned a whip made from fire and got back to his usual task of torturing hapless sinners.

Meanwhile…

Harry stumbled, his support suddenly gone. There was a very strong smell of sulphur in the room, though. And some ashes floating in the air, worsening his throat's condition. Deciding that it was about time he greeted his friends who were probably running around like…like…well, Gryffindors trying to find him and harass him with god knows what.

He tucked the letter into his school bag that he took everywhere, descending the staircase into the halls crowded with students hugging and telling each other about how much fun they had on holiday and what they got for Christmas. He rolled his eyes and looked for the beacons of blond hair that Draco and Daphne created. He wandered through the hall until he came to the dungeons. Students lined the walls here too, all smiling and laughing and…screaming "Where the Hell are you, Harry?" ?

He blinked, seeing a very upset Millicent flanked by Daphne and Pansy coming towards him. Behind them the boys who had been looking for him called out to each other and they joined the pack of very upset students about to descend upon him with all the force and fury of an atomic bomb.

Millicent had reached him and her nails dug into his shoulders while she shook him slightly, screeching about how dare he worry her like that. He bore this all with a long-suffering look, and daydreamed about Asmodeus.

--------

End ch33

Hope you guys liked it! Remember, I can't update (and be happy about it) unless I get reviews!!


	34. Chapter 34

CHAPTER 34

There were two months left of school, and Harry found himself with very mixed feelings about leaving the school. On the one hand, he missed his guardian and wanted to spend some time with him, and on the other hand he didn't have an owl so he didn't know if he'd be able to keep in contact with his friends. He had remained hopeful until he realized that Draco was the only one with an owl. Daphne did have a crow, though it couldn't deliver letters so that crossed it off the list. Blaise had a snake and Millicent considered pets to be too much of a bother.

"Harry? Harry, are you even listening to me?" His head snapped up and he realized that Pansy had been talking to him for awhile and he hadn't noticed. Cheeks flushed slightly, he apologized and asked her to repeat her earlier observations. She smiled exasperatedly at him and said, "I was just saying that, since we won't really be able to talk over the summer, how about we all choose a location and a couple days to meet there. Whoever wants to come can just show up, and we can go shopping or eat and stuff. The others say its alright with them, and I was just asking you if you think it's a good idea."

"It doesn't sound like it would be a problem, but if I don't show up don't be worried, it will just mean that my guardian said no."

She nodded and skipped off to tell the other first years that Harry had agreed. Then they all rushed off to the first class of the day, Herbology.

"Oh, may my heart contain my joy." Harry muttered, stalking off to the classroom.

--------

The motel room smelled a bit odd and the couch felt like grease was imbedded into its fibers. But it had a bed, and it was comparatively warm so Maalik decided to make the best of it. James was already digging out some fresh clothes and heading for the shower, pausing to run a hand through Maalik's hair when he passed him to get to the bathroom. The Healer nearly swooned at the gentle caress and allowed himself to dream of what things could be like if James felt the same way.

Dumping his bag on the bed, he unzipped it and pulled out some pajama bottoms and the cleanest shirt he had so far. They had been hopping from location to location, some times sleeping outside in the cold if they couldn't afford a hotel room. Pulling the clothes on, he threw on a sweater over the ensemble because it was still very cold at night. James came out of the bathroom and got under the covers, flicking his light off. Maalik did the same, moving his bag to the floor before joining James and trying to get rid of his sudden urge to cuddle.

------

End ch34

Sorry it is so short, but I am busy today.


	35. Chapter 35

CHAPTER 35

Maalik woke up nose to nose James. Brown met brown, and they blushed simultaneously. Quickly, muttering apologies, Maalik attempted to scoot away before he embarrassed himself. However, they appeared to be completely entangled in the sheets, preventing further movement. The blush spread down Maalik's neck and James hid a grin.

He innocently shifted a leg, brushing it across Maalik's calf. The smaller man squeaked slightly and once again tried to shimmy out of their self-made cocoon of blankets. James freed an arm from the cloth and wrapped it around Maalik's waist, saying, "We've been traveling for quite a while, let's sleep in just this once." Sliding closer, he placed Maalik in his arms and pulled him into a more relaxed position before going back to sleep.

-----

It had been a very long journey through the wild mists that hid his destination, but he had finally arrived at the complex of dilapidated architecture he called home.

The AFANASEI Headquarters needed some redecorating. The blood from the battles 30 years ago was still staining the rugs, walls, and even select areas of the ceiling where explosives had been used. Picking his way through the wreckage, Bronislav surveyed the hall for any signs of the other members. On a sofa to his left he knew the Lady Gwendoline Redd, wife of Wilhelm Redd, would be catching her usual pre-meeting nap. He made sure to be extra quiet while passing her, as her low blood sugar tended to make her very irritable when her sleep was interrupted.

There were 13 members of AFANASEI who still lived on earth, Bronislav himself being the final and most recent member of the organization. He had not yet worked up the courage to travel into the deadly realms of Hell, but was planning on doing so later that month with Aidan. Nobody knew Aidan's last name, or even what he looked like. His face was always swathed in bandages with only his mouth, nose, and eyes left visible, and he rarely spoke. He was the oldest member who still frequented the earth more than he did Hell.

Speaking of Aidan, he was currently leaning against a blood-soaked wall, smoking a cigarette while Maggie harassed him about it being bad for him. Maggie had preceded him as the youngest, and her full name was Magdalena Julia Dahl. She was only 86 years older than Bronislav, and her sanity was still completely intact, although that was questionable when someone foolishly exposed her to coffee.

She had spotted Bronislav and abandoned her lecturing to bounce over to him, hugging him tightly around the waist. "Broni, my love! How many lonely nights has it been since I last saw you?" Her voice echoed loudly across the room, nearly waking Gwendoline whose husband quickly put up a silencing spell. He laughed and hugged her back.

"Too long, Maggie, far too long. How are your great-great-grandchildren? They treating you alright?" She nodded, continuing to smile. He lightly kissed her forehead and wrapped an arm around her shoulders while once again prowling around the room trying to assess who hadn't come yet.

---------

There were two weeks left of school, and Harry was getting antsy. Asmodeus still hadn't come back and he was starting to lose the sense of security that the letter had afforded him.

He wandered through the shelves of the library, looking for anything of interest to read. Most of his friends were busy working on the extra homework the teachers lumped on them, and were consequently unable to hang out. Entering the shelves meant for the older students, he saw several volumes on medical magic. Remembering Cho's impromptu seizure, he pulled the thickest one off the shelf, dusting it off with the sleeve of his sweater. "_Angina: How to Induce and Cure without Getting Seen." _He read aloud, a sinister smirk crossing his face. If his memory served him right, angina was always very painful.

He sat down on the carpeted floor and prepared his mind to absorb potentially lethal information. Information that he fully intended to 'test' on certain unwanted individuals.

---------

Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts was taking a 'casual walk'. For those who knew him well, it meant wandering the castle invisible and spying on the students without their knowledge. He was currently in the library, surveying the students frantically studying for the final tests. Deciding to check the back for any particularly bold students who had decided to study something made of flesh instead of parchment. He didn't see anyone, until his eyes landed on a rather small figure sitting cross-legged on the floor with a book open in their lap. It the Potter boy, Harry if he remembered correctly. Normally, he would have set up a killing party to off the kid but since he was a half-blood, he didn't have any…interesting talents that he was aware of. Other than the occasional verbal antagonizing of students from other Houses, he had a very clean record.

Coming closer, he read over the boy's shoulder, curious to see what had captured the elusive attention span of a young boy. It was a book on causing horrible maladies of the throat and face. In detail with pictures too. His eyes sharply assessed the boy's features, and he noticed a faint smirk that had escaped his attention before.

This required some thinking, and possibly the placement of some observation spells on the boy's person. They couldn't afford another Tom Riddle scenario so soon after peace had been established.

------

Harry could sense the presence on his right side vanish, and sighed in relief. It always made him nervous when he felt like he was being watched.

He turned the page and began soaking up the spells needed to make someone's face resemble a yellowed lump of wet parchment, with empty sockets for eyes. The moving pictures were very helpful in the mental visualization of just what the spell could accomplish.

Hearing someone approaching his shelf, he transfigured the book into a sheet of parchment and removed a quill from his bag. Pretending to be writing an essay, he ignored the people browsing the shelves. Then two figures seated themselves on either side of him and he forced himself to look up calmly. They were the Weasley twins, and they looked _very _happy to see him.

"Can I help you?" Harry asked the twin he was pretty sure was Fred, raising an eyebrow imperiously.

"As a matter of fact, you can. We've noticed that you and your little gang of Slytherins have been picking on our ickle Ronnie-kins. Since he _is _family, despite being a bit on the thick side, we consider it our brotherly duty to serve vengeance upon you for his sake. It's nothing personal, just our own sensibilities of family loyalty."

Harry sighed, assuming an all-for-the-best expression. He stood up, placed his 'parchment' and other materials into his bag, and said, "Well, you don't want to pummel me in the library where Madam Pince could catch you, do you? Let's at least respect Hogwarts enough to take this outside."

He strolled between the shelves, clearly heading for the door. Shrugging, the twins followed. When they were in a slightly muddy but secluded area by the lake, Harry stopped and removed his bag and cloak, setting them on a dry tree stump. Turning to face the twins, he spread his arms and said, "Well, get started."

Fred stared at him, not quite comprehending how this tiny Slytherin firstie was managing to display more guts than any Gryffindor they'd ever seen, family members included. "Uh, you _are _going to fight back, right? It just doesn't seem right to attack a defenseless kid like you with no of you getting any assistance."

Harry smiled and replied, "Good for you! You have shown far more morality than your brother and his friends. The same sense of injustice you are feeling right now is what keeps Slytherins from attacking people who haven't attacked them. Now, if you'll permit me, I'd like to get back to studying." He flung his cloak back on, shouldered his bag, and trudged through the mud back to the doors of the Castle.

The twins stared after him, slightly gobsmacked.

-----

End ch35


	36. Chapter 36

CHAPTER 36

John Wimberley was getting frustrated. James Potter was proving to be very difficult to track down, as his wand had been snapped when he was declared dead. Most tracking charms worked by latching on to a person's magical signature that centered itself into the target's wand. Since James had no wand, the charms had nothing to cling to and were therefore useless. This meant that he was stuck in the middle of a muddy forest with 6 Aurors and an extremely disrespectful female detective.

The detective went by the name Magdalena Dahl, a woman who had no ministry birth records or papers of any kind. But she could do her job, and that was all he had cared about after a month of unsuccessful searching for someone willing to hunt down Mr. Potter and keep their mouth shut.

------

The dorm was a flurry of activity as the boys attempted to squeeze all of their clothes into their trunks without folding them, throwing books, quills, and bits of parchment into the already stuffed trunks, sometimes needing to sit on the luggage to get it to close.

Harry, having foreseen the chaos that would occur when a bunch of disorganized boys were suddenly forced to organized in a short period of time, had packed the night before and was now heading down the stairs to wait in the entrance hall with the other students who had planned ahead. Most of them were Ravenclaws and older Slytherins. There was that one annoying Gryffindor female, Granger, there as well but Harry considered her too obnoxious to be completely human so she didn't count.

Blaise came strolling into the hall, trunk dutifully floating behind him. Catching sight of Harry, he waded through the other arriving students to stand next to the brunette. "So, first year is over already, eh? It seems like it went by too fast, doesn't it?"

Harry nodded, smiling at his friend. "Yeah, it did. But we've still got 6 years left, so now is not the time to get sad."

They smiled at each other, and were joined by Pansy who was holding…Raito? "H-Harry!" She huffed, quite out of breath and dumped the large feline into Harry's arms. "Your crazy appeared out of nowhere, mewing really loud and started wandering all over the dorms. You better be grateful, because I packed extra fast so I could bring him down to you."

He practically glowed, drawing the attention of some older students, who now eyed the weird Slytherin firsties who seemed to be far happier than any Snake had been in public before. "Thank you so much, Pansy!" He breathed, an expression very near euphoria on his face. She blushed brightly, not used to Harry looking so…cute. Possibly cuter than Draco, which had been unheard of for her before now. "Uh, your welcome, Harry. Any time."

The cat was now purring while Harry pet him, yellow eyes closing in bliss. It twisted in his arms, baring its stomach for his fingers. The brunette hugged his 'cat' close, whispering how much he had missed him into his pointed ears.

Draco, who had come down as well, joined in the group staring. Was it just them, or did that cat seem a little too aware of what was going on? But the bell sounded, and a teacher directed the students to the train.

----

All of them managed to squeeze into a compartment, Greg still arguing with Vince about what brand of candy was the best. Millicent would interject a comment every now and then, not siding with either of them. Draco was taking a nap, Pansy using this as an excuse to sit closer than necessary to him. Daphne was petting Raito and Blaise was reading a potion's text over Harry's shoulder. Everything was peaceful when the door slammed open, revealing a pissed off Ron Weasley flanked by Seamus Finnegan and Dean Thomas. Catching sight of Harry, he stalked in and stood over him, fists clenching and unclenching at his sides. Finally losing patience when Harry continued to ignore him, he barked, "Potter!"

Harry calmly raised his eyes to meet furious brown. "Yes, Weasley?"

"Your blasted cat stole my rat, and I want it back now!"

He blinked, not quite comprehending what Asmodeus would want with an ugly rat like Weasley's. "Are you sure it was my cat? A lot of students have feline pets that are far more likely to have gotten hungry and snacked on your rat."

"Yes, I'm sure it was yours. It had white fur just like yours and yellow eyes."

The Slytherin nodded and gently removed Raito from Daphne's hands. Holding the cat up to eye level, he asked, "Did you take Weasley's rat?"

Raito shook his head, and everyone watching simultaneously choked or made some other sign of disbelief. They had known something was off about that cat!

Lowering Raito until he was nestled to his chest, Harry stated, "It appears you have made a mistake. My cat is innocent, but I am willing to prove it by assisting you in your search for the mangy rodent you call 'Scabbers'." Handing Raito back to Daphne, who cooed at him, he gave Blaise the Potion's text before standing and heading out of the compartment. The now very confused Gryffindors followed him into the hallway.

---

3 hours later the rat was located inside Ron's trunk, having been taking a nap in one of Ron's shirts he'd been accidentally packed. The redhead had been extremely embarrassed, but had refused to apologize. Harry had rolled his eyes and headed back to his compartment.

Most of the Slytherins were napping, although Blaise was still awake and fully engrossed in a book on Norwegian torture spells. Harry picked up his Potions text and sat on the floor while leaning his head against Daphne's knee. Asmodeus was asleep on the girl's lap, and his hot breath warmed Harry's ear.

He smiled, basking the feeling of security that washed over him, knowing that the Demon was safe and near.

----

End ch36

So, Harry's first year is now over. Any suggestions for his next year are fully appreciated and I will see if I can work them in to the storyline while I write about what happens over the summer. Review!


	37. Chapter 37

Disclaimer: I knew I was forgetting something in my fics, and apparently it was the disclaimer! I'm sure by this time you have noticed that my writing style isn't exactly JK Rowling quality, so you can conclude that I am not her.

CHAPTER 37

Stepping off the train, he joined his friends in their search for guardians and parents. Mr. Malfoy was easily recognizable, blond hair shining in the summer sun. Beside him a little blond girl wearing a frilly white dress clung to his leg, peeking out from behind it at the various magical people milling around the station. Draco saw where Harry was looking and led Harry over to meet his father. They were almost there when Julius came out nowhere and hugged Lucius, loudly chattering about how good his grades were and how he wanted to join the Quidditch team and could he please get a new broom?

Lucius didn't spare Draco glance, and his second son murmured. "hello, Father." Before swooping his little sister into a tight hug. She squealed happily and showed him her stuffed bunny, blond curls bouncing with each animated movement of her head. Then she saw Harry and waved, wriggling out of her brother's arms to inspect him. Circling him, she smiled and hugged his waist, tiny arms not quite making it around his frightfully thin body. He stroked her hair and she purred in a manner distinctly cat-like and Harry deduced that her animagus form had a good chance of being feline.

Raito came over and rubbed himself against Harry's leg, purring louder than the girl, and she gasped at the sight of the large cat. Laughing, she knelt down and offered a hand smaller than Harry's and just as pale to Asmodeus, which he dutifully sniffed before rubbing against, continuing to purr and settling himself in her arms. Lucius seemed to notice that the near-permanent weight on his leg was absent and looked around, searching for his only remaining daughter. Seeing her petting a cat nearly her size with a strange boy he'd never seen before, he stalked over to the pair and demanded what she thought she was doing. Sophie said she was petting a cat, and there was nothing wrong with that if the nice boy didn't mind, was there? Harry had looked up at that moment and Lucius caught sight of the thin pale face with large green eyes ringed with dark purple circles. Who was in charge of this wraith, this mere ghost of the energy children were supposed to have? The boy stood, and closed the distance between them, offering his hand to shake.

"Harry Potter, sir. I'm a friend of Draco's and it's a pleasure to meet the father who has raised my friend to be all he is today."

He shook the hand that rivaled his daughter's in size, and attempted to smile at the child who was currently sending shivers of fear down his spine. There was just something about this boy, something not quite human or alive for that matter and it set him on edge. As soon as he was able in polite society to excuse himself, he called his children together, practically dragging Sophie away from the cat, and apparatated away.

Harry grinned and patted Asmodeus' head. "Good job." He whispered, happy with the impression he'd made on Draco's father. The man would pay for his neglect of Draco if he had anything to do with it.

-----

After getting introduced to the parents of his friends, he managed to get away and actually look for Bronislav. Catching sight of the man sitting on a bench, smoking and scanning the crowds, he wove through the thinning crowd before tugging on his guardian's coat hem.

The doctor smiled at him, brown eyes crinkling and picked him up to hug. "So, how was school?" He asked, holding Harry's hand and shouldering his trunk while that cat climbed up and settled himself into his charge's long hair.

"It was good. I'm in Slytherin and I'm friends with almost all the other first years in my House."

"Did you make any enemies?"

"Um, one and his cronies, but there a couple people that I just don't like."

"Does this enemy have a name?" There was a slight teasing undertone to Bronislav's voice, and he dearly hoped it wasn't someone overtly important.

"Ron Weasley and his two friends Seamus and Dean. They try to harass me, but so far I've been able to distract them every time that happens and have remained unscathed." He looked up at the man from under his lashes and wondered if now was a good time to ask him some of the questions that had been bothering him since his visit to the Hospital. Deciding that now was as good as any time to ask, he ventured, "Um, can I ask you something?" Brown eyes looked down, and he saw the seriousness and even a bit of fear in his face.

"Alright, but I might not answer."

"Fair enough." Harry conceded, and began thinking about how to phrase the questions. "Okay, where did you go to school?"

He blinked. Well, that was unexpected but there was one problem with answering it. He hadn't gone to school. He and his brother had been schooled by their mother because they couldn't afford to go to a school like their friends. The war had greatly drained their wallets, and they hadn't had a choice in the matter.

"I didn't go to school. My mother taught me and my brother at home."

"Oh, I meant where did you go to learn how to be a doctor."

"I'm sorry! I thought you meant primary school and high school and the like. I apprenticed myself to a doctor and he taught me everything he knew. Then I attended a community medical school for 2 years, mostly testing out of classes because I already knew the information." He smiled after saying this, hoping that the other questions wouldn't traverse into areas that would force him to lie.

"Are you a wizard? If not, how do you know so much about magic?"

"No, I'm not a wizard but I can use magic without a wand. Does that count?"

"Um, yeah, I think so. How did you learn to use magic?"

"I taught myself through trial and error. Blew up an abandoned house by accident once when I was 17, but that only happened once and I'm still not sure what I did to cause that, so I don't use magic unless its and emergency and I can't defend myself in some other way because I'm never quite sure what will happen." Half of that was a lie. He knew damn well what happened when he tapped into his magic store, and it was never good. His immortality had not erased the many burn scars covering his arms from when he summoned fire and channeled it through his fingers to burn a group of adversaries that were too strong for him to defeat with his fists.

And he'd blown up a lot of buildings, it was kind of fun actually.

They'd reached his car and he put Harry's trunk in the back seat and made sure Harry was strapped in before pulling away from the curb, tires screeching as he accelerated.

He just hoped Vladimir hadn't done anything too damaging to his new house in his absence.

---

End ch37

Review and tell me what you think! A special thanks goes to my 3 mist faithful reviewers Ariseris, MalenkaMaus, and Mimindi. (If I spelled your name wrong, I am sorry!  )


	38. Chapter 38

This was written while listening to Danish music from the 80s, so blame whatever goes wrong on that! DX

CHAPTER 38

Harry had not been informed of the housing change, and was therefore slightly confused when they arrived at what would once have been a very fashionable gothic Victorian house. The dull white paint was now chipped and the wood underneath appeared to be rotting. The surrounding houses were abandoned or cheap apartment buildings that probably only had about 2 inmates each. His guardian was carrying his trunk up the cracked sidewalk that led to the sagging steps that preceded the porch, which was missing floorboards. He gave one final look at his new environment before carefully making his way to the door, making sure that Asmodeus was following him. His guardian was reaching into his back pocket for his keys when the door was thrown open and a disheveled man grasping a wooden spoon began loudly berating Bronislav about taking so long and where was the kid he had adopted? There were also a few completely unrelated comments about how he wasn't getting enough fresh air, didn't eat enough, and spent too much time reading books about how to cut people open. Harry couldn't resist a snigger at the last one, shaking slightly as he tried to hold it in. First impressions were very important, and he didn't want to screw up this one since he would be living with the man in close proximity for the next 3 months.

The strange and kind of short man had caught the noise and craned his neck over his brother's shoulder to scrutinize the tiny pale figure currently flanked by an unusually large feline and clutching a heavy-looking school bag in his hands. The kid sent him an adorable smile and he felt himself internally melt into a pile of goo and sink through the floorboards, never to be found again. He definitely liked this one, since he never could resist cute things.

Harry shyly made his way towards them, Raito on his heels, and half-hid behind Broni's leg. His eyes met Vladimir's and he smiled again, an almost coy tilt to his lips. Then he found himself squished to a warm chest, feet dangling a few feet above the ground. Apparently he was being hugged by his guardian's…interesting…brother. Resigning himself to his fate (this had happened with Professor Sprout too when he'd stayed after class once with a question), he angled his neck so he could look at his guardian, who was face-palming at the moment, looking very much annoyed.

---------

As much as it disagreed with the doctrine of his parents, Sirius very much enjoyed France. It was a lovely country, really, if one overlooked the many times they had initiated battle with Britain. To be fair, his own country had started their own share of battles, but that was beside the point. He took another long drink of his iced coffee and wondered which Muggle shop his brother was in now, since they all looked the same to him in this bloody maze masquerading as a mall so it could steal the money of hapless tourists.

Before he could set out to lose himself in the never-ending stores, his brother came striding over, a large bag elegantly held in his hand. He dumped it on Sirius and snagged a sip of his coffee while he was distracted, kissing his cheek when he received a petulant scowl.

"You'll love what I got." He stated, leading the way to a refreshment stand where he ordered a coffee like Sirius'. The girl smiled adoringly at him and he smiled tightly back, making sure not be too cold or too friendly. Sirius was most likely glaring daggers at the female anyways, so what was the point of them both getting frown lines?

She was taking longer than was needed to prepare his drink, something that made his lips curl into a faint sneer. Her hair looked brittle from too much hair-dye, and her 'high lights' were entirely the wrong color for her orange tan. Finally, she attempted to sound seductive while naming the cost of the drink. He dug the money out of his wallet and slapped it on the counter before practically getting dragged away by a now very pissy boyfriend.

Smirking, he made plans on how he could twist his brother's frustration into physical contact of a non-violent manner.

After about 5 minutes he realized that they were going in circles. He shook his head; gently tugging on Sirius' arm to guide him to the exit they had apparently passed several times. They managed to catch their train, although just barely, and ended up standing because all the seats were taken. A rather creepy old lady spent the entire half hour they were on the train staring at his bum, and he found himself getting irritated. It seemed he was constantly being reminded why he didn't fancy women today. He could see that Sirius had noticed because he was now leering at him, half mocking, half lustful.

He grinned. This should be fun

----- [I know, I know. I'm a tease ;)

John hated his life, but he hated Maggie more. The infuriating woman had made them trek all over the London Underground, making them assume that she had somehow discovered a lead, when in actuality she was simply heading for her favorite bar, where she now sat flirting with some guy with more tattoos than flesh.

And some guy in the corner was looking him over in a way that was indecent for proper society. Well, it wasn't _that _bad, it was just that he was starting to like it and his mother would beat him over the head with a frying pan if he even dared to consider taking the man up on his unspoken offer. Oh, shit! He was coming over!

While the Healer internally freaked out, Maggie watched him out of the corner of her eye, nearly choking on her drink when she saw him blush after exchanging glances again with the rather handsome man eyeing him. The brunette smiled when the Healer looked away, teeth very white against his lips. Was it just her or were they slightly pointed? Deciding that she was seeing things since Vampires can't traipse around in broad daylight, she turned back to her conversation with the tattooed bounty hunter who was currently relaying any information he had on someone of James' description.

John shifted on his stool, trying to convince himself that getting up and sitting next to his admirer was a very bad idea, and that he really shouldn't be sliding off his stool right now and heading over to the booth occupied by the long-haired man. Sitting this close, he could now see several facial piercings, one in his chin, 2 on his right eyebrow, and a small nose piercing. His hair was dyed a range of colors from red to yellow, so it resembled a mane of flames. Several loose pieces of hair fell into his eyes, which were a bright red. The effect was rather nice, and John found himself smiling shyly, trying not to embarrass himself in front of this lovely man. Who was now smiling at him, showing a set of teeth too pointed to be human. For some reason, John couldn't bring himself to care and became a little bolder. Offering his hand over the table, he introduced himself.

His hand was seized in a strong grip and shook firmly. "Rael, Angel of God. Nice to meet you, John."

John blinked for a few moments before deciding that he must be joking. He laughed a bit and took a sip of his tea which he'd brought with him. "So, you're an Angel?" He asked, laughter in his voice.

"Yes. And you're a human. Life is fascinating, isn't it?" There was a slight sarcastic undertone to his words and John ducked his head, trying not to seem too interested or too stand-offish.

His mother would kill him, but there was just something about this man that made him never want to be out of his sight.

--------

End ch38

ZOMG! 38 chapters already! Sorry, but I'm just so happy I've made it this far. Review!

By the way, this isn't mandatory, but do you guys think you could help me get 100 reviews before 2008? That would be awesome. Love all of you! Especially you, muffin man. You know who you are.


	39. Chapter 39

CHAPTER 39

Draco smiled at Chardai before slipping into his room, settling on his bed before pulling out his summer homework and getting to work. He didn't want to embarrass himself on the first day of school this September by rushing his work and thereby doing a bad job.

A few hours later and he'd tackled the Transfiguration, Herbology, and Potions essays. Finding himself hungry, he quietly went downstairs and entered the kitchens. He sought out the House Elf assigned to him and requested a snack. He was nearly smothered in food shortly afterwards and carefully wrapped up some cookies to send to Harry by owl. Since Harry lived with Muggles, he was probably stuck eating the nasty food that non-magical people considered 'traditional'. Sending it off with his owl, he dug in his bag for a book on how to induce rare and painful maladies upon domesticated animals that Harry had insisted he read and possibly experiment with on Julius' horse Amethyst.

Smirking, he settled down to read.

-----

John woke slowly, drifting in that land between sleep and awareness. He dreamed that all of his colleagues had been turned into papayas and bananas by an evil monkey who ate them. John, for some reason, had been turned into a chair and was therefore not tasty enough for the furry menace. There was something terrifying about the monkey, and he shot up in bed, breathing hard. Noting that something was off, he realized that he wasn't in a hotel room like he'd been for the past weeks while they continued their search for the escaped Potter.

He was in a rather nice house, on someone's couch and someone's long and kind of heavy arm was currently clutching his waist from behind. Briefly checking himself over, he made sure he was fully dressed and didn't feel any sort of strange pains, so he chanced a look at his couch partner. It was the man from the day before, and his hair was fanned out over the couch, now looking a lot longer than it had the afternoon before. Thinking back, he tried to remember what had happened to land him in the man's residence.

Nothing. He couldn't recall a single event that had occurred during the 12-some hours that had apparently passed. His breath started to quicken while he internally panicked. There was a little voice telling him over and over again that he should be on his guard, be vigilant. One never knew what to expect from strangers these days.

The man behind him stirred, muscles in his arm clenching and unclenching smoothly beneath his skin. Red eyes snapped open, focusing on him. He smiled, yawning mid-way, and tightened his hold on his waist. "Did you sleep well, John?" He asked innocently, as if they weren't currently sharing the same sleeping space.

His face flamed.

---------

End ch39

Yes, bemoan the shortness! However, considering how long it has taken me to post this today, consider yourselves lucky that I managed to manhandle my schedule into even allowing me to get online. Busy times, busy times. Lol, review!


	40. Chapter 40

CHAPTER 40

The days progressed slowly for Harry, each hour seeming to drag its feet. His visits with his friends had been a welcome change from the monotony, but they only lasted a few hours.

Two days after they had arrived, Asmodeus had once again received one of his mysterious messages and had had to leave. He kissed Harry with far more gentleness than he was used to and had held him for longer than was needed. "Bye, Harry. I don't know how long I'll be gone, but remember that no matter how long it is I'll come back. It may be years, but you'll see me again."

His last words worried Harry greatly. What could be serious enough to prompt such words? And what could keep him away for years?

It was raining today, casting a chill over the house. Harry hugged himself tightly and allowed himself to miss the warmth that Asmodeus would normally give him on a day like this. He had borrowed one of Bronislav's sweaters and the cuffs covered his hands, which grasped a book on different species of Asian Dragons. It was very interesting so far, especially the passages that described how they were worshipped and the priest hierarchy. The Dragons looked curiously aware, and not at all like a dumb brute with no soul.

He was twelve now, his birthday having been last week. They had given him some books and let him help them bake a cake to celebrate it. If they could get their acts together, they would go shopping for school supplies tomorrow, which he both was and wasn't looking forward to. He missed his friends, but being in this house had allowed him to let go of the strange ball of tension that he always got when he was at Hogwarts. There was something not right with that Castle, and he could feel it in his very core that something was going to go very, very wrong this year.

And he was somehow going to get blamed for it.

Vladimir and Bronislav had gone to some kind of 'meeting' and wouldn't be back until tomorrow morning, so he was all alone in the house with his suspicions. What was with them and their weird 'meetings' anyways? It made him nervous, since he once passed by Vladimir's room he saw him pack several pistols into his overnight bag. Were they doing something illegal? He had no idea, but it still didn't sit well with him.

--------

A spell shot right past Vladimir's cheek, grazing the skin. When it collided with the wall behind him, the wall immediately pulverized into miniscule bits of dust that choked him and clogged his lungs when he tried to breathe. He tried to hack it up, bending down to lean on his knees as he tried to dislodge a large piece in his throat. A random vampire on their side cast some kind of spell on him and suddenly his windpipes were clear. He smiled gratefully and saw her blush. Trying not to dwell on the possibility of getting some female company that night, he sent a Killing Curse at the human who had dared to attack him.

The man dropped like a rock, lifeless. Smirking, he sent out a couple more, picking off the aurors attempting to invade the last vampire territory that the Humans knew about. He could hear several questions fluttering through the red-cloaked warriors about the sheer amount of Vampires fighting them. Heh, humans always assumed that Vampires were constrained to the same magic and laws of nature that they were.

Fools, the lot of them.

--------------

End ch40

Hope that answers some questions! Review and let me know if you have any requests, reminders, characters you want to see again, or pairing suggestions. I'm always happy to listen! 


	41. Chapter 41

CHAPTER 41

Harry wanted to kill someone. A certain obnoxious blond someone named Gilderoy Lockhart, if he was specific. The infuriating man had been having some kind of rally for his female fans in the book store where Harry was buying his school books, minding his own business, when the celebrity apparently decided that he needed a prop to make him look like a family man, so he grabbed Harry by the back of his shirt, rambling cheerfully about how lucky Harry was to meet him in person all the while. Harry refused to smile, instead keeping his arms protectively crossed around his book, slightly hunched with his lowered. His sharp eyes met several of the women and they quickly looked away, unable to hold his gaze.

After nearly an hour of being blinded by camera flashes, Harry decided that reading while standing was uncomfortable and kicked Gilderoy's feet out from under him, plopping down on the man's chest. Opening a new book, he began to memorize the Ministry's laws regarding underage magic users and try to devise ways around them if possible. The crowd was now staring, open-mouthed, at the audacity of the brat currently using the object of their fantasies as a couch.

This went on for half an hour, no one quite sure what to do, Gilderoy himself sending helpless looks to anyone other than his fans, silently pleading for someone to remove the strange child from his person before the kid threw a tantrum of some kind. Lucky for them, Harry got bored and rose from his squishy cushion, walking through the parted crowd to the cash register and purchasing his books. He waved to Gilderoy before walking out the door into the stuffy humidity that the weather had inflicted on them, Mother Nature's sadistic streak showing itself to the world.

He saw his guardians entering the apothecary and followed them inside, catching Vladimir's hand and clinging to his arm. Several mothers escorting their children cooed at him and he shot them smiles, flashing his eyes.

After buying Potions supplies, they headed out of the alley and back into the Muggle world.

-----------

Albus Dumbledore watched, wide-eyed, as the faintly glowing illusion of Harry read and took notes on how to make toxic Potions. It was 3 in the morning, and the boy was studying highly dangerous topics that most men _his _age had difficulty understanding. He had managed to Imperio Mr. Ron Weasley into inserting a tracking and watch charm onto Mr. Potter while they were searching for the boy's missing rat. The results had been worrying. So far he couldn't see any sign of the wandless magic characteristic of the Potter family, but that didn't mean that the boy wasn't dangerous.

Certain measures would need to be taken when the boy returned to Hogwarts that week, if the stability of the Wizarding world was to be kept in its current state.

--------

Maalik unsteadily walked down the ramp onto French soil, still slightly nauseous from the swaying of the fisherman's boat. Not knowing if anyone would be tracking them, they had been forced to forego the rather comfortable-looking ships meant for tourists and instead bribed a rather greasy Muggle to take them over the Channel in his filthy barge.

He had somehow swindled them into paying him twice as much as their original agreement, too.

----

End chapter 41

Review, my doves:P


	42. Chapter 42

CHAPTER 42

The train ride had been uneventful, the most exciting thing being Vladimir chasing the train, waving like mad. Harry had waved back just as enthusiastically until he was outrun by the train. Now, they had arrived at the Castle, and were being hustled into carriages pulled by rather fascinating skeletal horses. He mentally resolved to ask a teacher what they were called so he could research them.

Shrugging it off, he smiled brightly at Millicent who had been trying to get his attention for the past several seconds. "Yes, Millie?"

"Did you see those things pulling the carriage?" He nodded.

"Well, I overheard a bunch of kids asking what kind of spell makes the carriages go by themselves, so maybe only some people can see them." His eyes widened. This could be useful. Since many Magical Artifacts were made from plants and various Creatures, maybe there was some way to become invisible using the horses pulling them?

"That is very unusual. We'll have to see just what they are and what they can be used for."

----

Harry sat on his usual side of the table, the side with its back to the wall, and surveyed the crowd of first years. Out of all of them, only one stood out. Her hair was long and straggly, hanging nearly to her knees in messy blond waves, eyes almost glowing in their luminosity. Around her neck was an assortment of strange necklaces that seemed to be made of various odds and ends woven together with dyed henna.

Blaise saw who he was looking at and perused the petite girl. "She looks a bit odd, yeah?" He said, voice tinged with a slight edge of fear. Harry had learned that people who looked or acted in a way that was unusual were avoided by children close to their age because the foolish fear what they do not understand.

"I'm sure she's very nice." Harry replied, taking in her mismatched socks and Muggle boots. She had apparently noticed that someone was looking at her and she swiveled her head until her eyes met his. She gave him a misty smile and waved sluggishly, all of her movements almost like she was under water and therefore weighed down.

"Lovegood, Luna!" Minerva McGonagall called out, voice echoing. The blond girl slipped past the other children blocking her path, who seemed to be avoiding touching her, and sat on the stool. Most of the students were now staring at her clothes in disgust, various murmurs questioning her appearance and sanity rising up. She didn't seem to notice, eyes closed as the Hat sorted her.

Five minutes passed slowly, the Hat still remaining silent. The teachers had started to whisper to each other, expressions of concern briefly flashing across pale features. Even the Headmaster was starting to look a little uncertain. Actually, the only teacher unconcerned with the situation was one Severus Snape, whose perpetual scowl couldn't be broken even with all the power of puppies and rainbows everywhere.

Finally, after a grueling half an hour, the Hat shouted, "Ravenclaw!" Luna slid gracefully off the rickety stool and patted the hat on it's point, saying, "I very much enjoyed meeting you, Mr. Hat. You can fully expect me to come have tea with you sometime so I can hear your opinion on the behavioral issues of Mermaids."

The Great Hall's occupants were shocked once again when the Hat replied, "I look forward to it, my dear. It has been a long time since my opinion was sought out for more than where to place children."

"How does Thursday sound?"

"Any day is fine. My schedule is empty until next year."

"Good bye, Mr. Hat." Luna said, floating over to the Ravenclaw table and sitting at the very end where it was too drafty for the other children to stand. She smiled at Harry, who smiled back and slightly raised his goblet of cranberry juice to her. The other children may have developed a liking for pumpkin juice, but Harry had never liked squash or any product of squash.

The sorting had continued, everyone besides the Ravenclaws seeming to relax. The Blue House was currently eyeing Luna like one would a Centaur having a bad day: with extreme caution. She pulled a large book out of her book bag and thumped it on the table before opening it and proceeding to read for the remainder of the sorting and the feast that followed, only eating a few bites of salad and 4 radishes.

When the food was about to disappear, she plucked a few tomatoes and a carrot from a plate of fresh vegetables and put them in her bag after wrapping them carefully in a napkin. Packing up her book and notes on her grimoire regarding the Demons of the Goetia, she rose with the rest of the Ravenclaws and dutifully followed them out and through the various halls until they reached the portrait with their dorms behind it.

She was in a room with 3 other girls, all of whom seemed to be terrified of her. Shrugging, she unpacked her nightdress and a sweater in case she got cold. Changing, she closed her curtains and curled up under the covers, re-opening her book and notes. Ever since her mother had died, she had been having trouble sleeping so she had developed the habit of studying in bed when her father thought she was sleeping. There were potions that could cure her sleeplessness, but she had grown attached to the hours when everything was still, sounds both amplified and muffled. It created wonderful vibrations, with so few to disturb the natural flow patterns energy assumed when left alone. Her best Divination work had been accomplished at night, so she had stopped worrying about it.

She found herself thinking of the nice boy who'd smiled at her from the Snake's table. Her father had told her that snakes only attacked when they felt threatened, and if treated with the proper respect, they could make both loyal and intelligent companions.

Smiling, she drifted off to sleep, dreams of reptilian humans gracefully sliding in and out of her subconscious.

-------

End ch42

I wrote a long one for you guys because I realized how short my chapters have been lately and didn't want to continue my neglect of you. Hope you guys like Luna because she'll be here for a while!

As always, any messages, emails, or reviews are welcome! I love to answer questions and read about your opinions and ideas so don't be shy.


	43. Chapter 43

CHAPTER 43

The first day of classes would have practically put Harry to sleep if he didn't have this awful feeling of being watched. Even when he was in a hallway with no windows and no portraits, he could still feel the eyes on him, memorizing his every move. And knowing that he didn't have Asmodeus there with him to help fight whoever it was did not help matters.

Blaise, walking beside him, seemed to notice that something was wrong but remained silent out of respect. Anyone with half a brain knew that forcing people to talk against their will regarding personal matters could not end well. Especially in the case of someone as delicate as Harry. The smaller boy noticed Blaise's gaze on him and shot him a sunny smile, sickening in its falseness. Draco, walking down the hall towards them, saw Harry's expression and sent a worried look to Blaise, who gave the barest of shrugs.

"Hey, guys." Draco said, sweeping past them and into the entryway that housed the ladder to the Divination Tower. The Slytherins smirked at each other, silently pitying Draco and the next hours he would spend hearing about how his brother was the greatest Malfoy ever, and would supposedly lead the family back to its former place of glory. Personally, Harry believed that Julius couldn't even lead a group of trained mountain experts through a perfectly straight ravine without first spending two years in aimless wandering. But that was just his opinion.

----

Any remaining Aurors were being easily picked off as the Vampires began piling the bodies of the Humans into draining pools to gather their blood before burning the empty corpses, the stench almost enough to pass through the wards and into the Brazilian red light district. Vladimir was drenched in the red liquid that had liberally sprouted out of the bodies of the Wizards when swords had been introduced into the battle, whatever feeble hope the humans might have had for surprising the Creatures backfiring spectacularly, as many of his own warriors had been raised in a time when it was far more natural to draw a weapon made of metal than that of wood against an enemy.

One of the freshly turned Vampires was thrashing around on the floor, eyes wide and panicked as they deepened to the red color that all unskilled Vampires retained until they learned how to control their new magic and used it to retain their human appearance. True, an older Vampire could easily take on a group of Wizards, but that didn't mean they wanted to fight their way through terrified mobs just to buy a pack of cigarettes or something equally menial.

Vladimir approached the new addition to his ranks, trying his best to look both imposing because of his rank and friendly because every vampire in his army was like a child to him.

It took a while, but the ex-human began to accept the concept of no longer being human a little more every day.

------

End ch43

Yes, back to the shortness but my family celebrated x-mas eve today and we are doing x-mas tomorrow so don't get your hopes up for an update until Monday. I am very sorry, but family comes first despite how much I love writing this. Review!


	44. Chapter 44

CHAPTER 44

Several hours spent searching the library eventually yielded 11 books on magical ways to watch someone without being seen or heard. Many of the methods were very difficult to even attempt, which was not comforting. Why would a powerful wizard be watching him in the first place? His eyes widened. Maybe they had noticed Asmodeus and knew that something wasn't quite right? He read faster, determined to remove whatever it was that was allowing someone to observe his actions.

Across from him at their table, Daphne watched, fascinated by the speed that her friend turned the pages of the enormous book that was almost as big as he was. She quietly continued researching for their Potion's essay, checking Harry's progress occasionally. In two hours (they'd skipped dinner to study) he had read 7 of the volumes, taking copious notes in strange sinuous letters that were definitely not in English. He also muttered to himself, something about smashing the skull of some bastard daring to spy on him. Daphne did not want to get between Harry and whoever the soon-to-be victim of his rage when the time for justice came.

------

Traveling as nomads had finally lost what meager 'charm' it might have had and they agreed to stop and see if they could settle down in one of the many small villages surrounding the city of Evian-les-Bains, which was very close to the Swiss border.

James had managed to procure them an apartment with a bathroom that was still within their price range in, and they had unpacked their meager belongings in a vain attempt to create a non-magical sound barrier to block out some of the noise coming from the train that passed directly above their building. It explained why the rent was so cheap, and it was a struggle to sleep at all. Maalik had got a job as a clerk at a clothing store, and he seemed to greatly increase the store's customers once the small-town gossip had informed the female population of the whereabouts of the handsome young man who had recently settled in their village with that scarred older man. The older one had become engaged at the local pub and was so far doing a far better job than their previous bartenders who had come passing through town, only staying a year or so.

While attractive, they were a bit odd. The younger one, Maalik, was loquacious but somehow never spoke of himself or how he had ended up in their town in the first place. James had also remained silent, and actually never spoke unless addressed or greeting a customer.

Two months later, Regulus and Sirius Black migrated to the same town, unaware of the ramifications that it would cause in their lives, and eventually the whole of the Wizarding world.

----

It was 3 months into the school year and Harry was still surpassing the ravenclaws in classes, causing much upset and jealous rumors when he passed by them in the halls. But Harry didn't have time for the petty problems of his classmates, though. He had finally reached a point of understanding that allowed him to block any sort of monitoring or locating charms, and the nasty prickling at the back of his neck had receded greatly. However, his studies had brought him to the discovery of Legilimency and its counter-part Occlumency. The thought of someone being able to read his mind, and its interesting secrets, disturbed him to the point of nightmares. Waking up alone in a cold bed did not help matters. God, he wished Asmodeus would deal with whatever was important enough to override his contract with Lucifer and cause him to be called away often enough that his housemates had begun asking what happened to his cat.

He had just experienced a strange dream involving blue eyes framed by half-moon glasses and a long white beard, a malicious smirk twisting wrinkled lips. Whoever the man was, he looked familiar and Harry instinctively knew that the man meant him and those he loved harm. Sliding out of bed, he slipped his boots on and headed down to the common room and out into the hallways. He wandered for two hours before stopping to rest in an alcove sporting a large window. The view offered was of the lake, and he thought he saw something moving over the water. Pressing his face to the glass, he squinted and was able to make out a thin figure riding on one of the strange horses that pulled the carriages, long blond hair flowing out behind her. Since only one student had hair like that, he deduced that it was the odd Ravenclaw who he occasionally exchanged smiles with but had never approached. Since now was as good as any time, he climbed out the window and nimbly walked down the various ledges and jutting stones along the wall until he reached the frozen mud that the cold weather had transformed the grass into.

The girl's head turned and she caught sight of him. He waved, smiling brightly. A gust of wind whipped his hair into his eyes and made his ever-present book bag slam into his fragile ribs painfully. He winced but kept smiling as she flew towards him, the horse obeying her every twitch. When she dismounted, he saw that she wasn't wearing the school robes like he had been expecting. It was quite cold, after all, with the wind coming off the lake. She smiled dreamily, yellow sweater askew and hanging off a bare shoulder. He could see the edge of a striped skirt sticking out from underneath and her socks covered half of her thighs, so not too much skin was exposed. She looked like she was made out of paper, the moon making her seem even more waif-like than normal.

"Hello, Potter. Lovely night for meeting Centaurs, don't you think? They enjoy the cool wind, it soothes them and boosts their divinatory gifts. Do you like Centaurs, Harry?"

"I've never had the pleasure of meeting a Centaur, Luna. Perhaps you could introduce me some time?" Dimly, he remembered that Centaurs were the hostile half-man half-horse Creatures known for their fascination with the stars. Some students claimed that they had Centaurs in the Forbidden Forest, and he wouldn't be surprised if it was true.

"Yes, but not tonight. My Thestral is tired and wants to rest a bit, maybe go for a swim later."

"Thestral?"

"Yes, the Creature currently sniffing your bag is called a Thestral. It is said that they are invisible to all who have not seen Death. I can see them, but I have never seen the Angel of Death. Maybe they meant seeing a human die? What do you think?"

"Well, now that I know what they are, I'll have to study them a bit and then tell you my answer, although I believe that the Angel of Death is present at every passing from this world to the next, he is just invisible to the human eye and so you would actually have seen Death himself if you can see a Thestral."

She smiled again, hair swirling around her rather like Medusa's snakes. "Who did you see die?"

"A very close friend of mine. I still miss her, sometimes, late at night when we would talk kind of like I'm talking to you now."

"Well, I hope that I don't die too. That would wreak a lot of damage on your Chakra alignment, you know. Besides, the Muggle psychology books say that children shouldn't see violence at all because it gives them mental problems. I never thought of myself as a child, so maybe it doesn't count for me?"

"Heh, same here. Childhood is a point of view. The government may say you're an adult when you turn a certain age, but that has no real affect on your personality. It makes you wonder who came up with those ages in the first place, who decided that you could become a soldier for a cause you don't believe in, marry someone you don't love, or adapt bad habits like smoking or excessive drinking."

"Do you drink?" Luna asked, voice innocent. He raised an eyebrow. Alcohol would certainly explain a lot regarding her personality and behavior in general.

"Maybe. Do you?"

"Yes. Lots, actually. I like vodka with cranberry juice best, since the flavors accent each other so nicely. What do you like?"

"Well, I haven't had a whole lot but so far I like everything except cheap beer, because that just tastes nasty."

She nodded and dug into her enormous handbag that looked like something a crotchety old lady would use to smack perverted teenagers with, removing a small clear bottle that had a few flecks of something purple floating in it. Closer inspection using the light of the moon revealed them to be pieces of blackberries. She unscrewed the cap and passed it to Harry, who caught a strong whiff of something resembling the smell of paint thinner. "It's diluted vodka with fruit, and it is pretty good. Have some of you want."

Feeling daring, he took a sip. It burned! He nearly dropped it, bending over to cough, almost expecting blood to come shooting up his throat. She had a thin arm around his waist and was sipping the bottle. When he recovered, she rubbed his throat lightly and said, "Well, now that you have accustomed yourself, would you like some more?"

He stared at her, then at the bottle. Why not? Knowing how to hold your liquor was a useful task and it was proven that those who started earlier had a greater chance of becoming less susceptible to its effects. He took the bottle and sipped a little more carefully this time. It still burned but it wasn't as bad this time, and he had to agree with her about adding fruit to the alcohol. They each had a few more sips before she put it away, smile seeming even vaguer than normal. Harry managed to smirk before sitting down, back against the stones of the Castle. He could of sworn he felt the stones warming for him, a soft glow briefly surrounding the area they were sitting before fading.

"She likes you." Luna murmured, tucking her legs under her on the frozen ground. Harry smiled and let himself relax in the completely non-threatening atmosphere Luna seemed to release into the currents of magic that wove their twisting path around the Castle.

Harry felt truly at peace for the first time since Asmodeus had left, and he resolved to spend more time with Luna in the future.

----

End ch44

Review!


	45. Chapter 45

CHAPTER 45

Albus was not a happy man. James Potter simply would _not _be found, despite his best efforts. And now he could no longer spy on his son! How the little brat had mustered enough magical essence to power an anti-tracking spell was still beyond his understanding. The worst part was that he couldn't pounce some legal offense at him because protective spells were legal for all ages since the Dark Lord and the incompetent Ministry was still sorting through the other issues that the war had caused to bother with a 12 year old boy- magical prodigy or no.

This morning he had attempted to stalk the boy himself using an invisibility cloak but the impudent imp had merely turned and greeted him pleasantly, looking him straight in the eye. There had been something in those eyes, something strange, different, and most of all, threatening.

Needless to say, he had greeted him back and quickly swept past the too-small body of the Potter heir to head back to his office. He didn't know what he had seen, but one thing was clear. The boy knew it was him who had been watching him. He would need to watch his back around that kid, lest he find something sharp stabbed into it.

-----

He was slightly more tired than usual at classes today, thanks to having spent two of his normal 3 hours of sleep talking with Luna. They had discussed who could be watching him and why. In the last hour, he had asked her who she saw die. Her mother had been working on sorting illegal potions brewed by Death Eaters and confiscated when she had been startled by one of Luna's 13 cats. She had dropped the potion and the gas from it had killed her almost instantly after the bottle shattered. Luna had somehow survived the effects of the Potion, even though her cat had died like her mother. The Aurors had been told not to enter the premises until the allotted week had passed for the gas to dissipate. She had been locked in her house with a dead body and almost no food for a month, since there was a Death Eater attack and all the troops had been called away to deal with the new threat to the Wizarding world.

Luna confessed that she had dreamed frequently of a tall man with black hair that seemed to meld with his black cloak. The only things about him that weren't black were his skin, paper white, and a silver clasp fastening his cloak in the shape of a seven-pointed star. His voice had comforted her in a strange language, arms warm as he had held her like an infant in his lap for hours every night. She had loved his voice so much that she stopped waking up so she could listen to him all the time. When the Ministry finally remembered to clear away the dead bodies that they were sure were all that were left of the female Lovegoods, they had discovered a rotting corpse, revealed to be her mother, a dead tabby cat, and a little girl fast asleep on the floor.

The Ministry still had no idea why she was still alive, but Luna said that she was sure it had something to do with the man in black.

----------

James poured another mug of beer for the group of rowdy hunters currently occupying all of the tables pushed together, allowing himself a small smile at the story one of the men was telling to an interested waitress about an obviously imaginary bear that had supposedly attacked him in the mountains. Even if the man _had _been attacked and almost eaten by such an enormous beast, he wouldn't be here bragging. He would be curled into a little ball on the floor of a padded room, shaking. Most people don't realize how terrifying the prospect if getting eaten by something is until they experience it first hand.

His smile widened when he remembered the last time he had been confronted with something that wanted to eat him. You had to have been there, Sirius' expression had been so priceless that he had dearly wished that he had brought a camera. His smile faded abruptly when he thought of Sirius. It had been so sudden, the papers suddenly proclaiming that both of the Black heirs had died in a freak accident involving a Muggle meat shredder. The funeral had been brief, both coffins nailed shut throughout the entire ordeal. The Black sisters had been the only ones crying, although Remus had looked close to that point.

Throat tightening, he walked back behind the bar and listened to a new customer's order, doing his best to get his mind off the series of events that had left him without a family. When the customer was assigned a table, James informed the chef of their order and set about getting the requested beers ready. This done, he greeted the next customer. Who was standing there, mouth open and a finger pointing at him. The strange customer seemed to regain his brain cells and suddenly tackled him, shrieking, "Jamesie! I've found you at last, and you're alive! I thought you were dead and all those people were talking about how sad it was that another pureblood family had met its end but they couldn't be nearly as sad as I was when I heard that my bestest friend ever was dead and then I come here and poof!" He flung his hands up dramatically, still sitting on a stunned James' torso "here you are! And working at a pub, no less!"

What the madman was saying finally registered and James' eyes got really wide when he took in the familiar but older features of one of his best friends that he thought for sure was dead. "S-Sirius?" He whispered, a hand coming up to lightly touch the skin of Sirius' cheek. The emotion seemed to catch up with his friend and a few tears squeezed out and landed on James' face, mixing with his own.

They hugged, in the middle of the kitchen floor, which was where Sirius' crazed tackle had landed them.

------

End ch45

Mwahahahaa! Behold, the scene I know at least 5 of you have been waiting for! Will their new friendship make their respective boyfriends jealous? Review and I'll update!!

Sorry, just a little hyper is all.


	46. Chapter 46

CHAPTER 46

Julius Malfoy came bursting into the Slytherin common room, looking like he was about to cry. Stalking over to his brother, he nearly screamed, "What the hell did you do to Amethyst, you bastard?!"

Draco blinked. "Um, nothing. And you just got spit on my face." Julius continued to stand over him, breathing deeply from apparently traveling the entire Castle looking for them.

"Yes, you did! You made her sick, and now she's dying! The closest medi-wizard who could help her is 500 kilometers away and I'm not allowed to leave the grounds except on the weekends! You had better fix her now, or I'll tell father that it was your fault."

"Ignoring, of course, the fact that I have no idea how to cast medical spells of any kind?" Yes, he was lying, but if he kept Julius distracted long enough, his horse would be dead by the time he got back. Although the horse would die anyway, since there wasn't a cure for the disease he had helped Harry mutate last night. And just maybe it hadn't been a completely random choice of whose pet to test it on…

"Sorry, can't help you. Even if father disowns me, I'll always know that it wasn't my fault. Besides, he'll probably hire investigators to find out who cast the spell, if it was even a spell in the first place, and it will be clear as day that I wasn't anywhere near that Groundskeeper's cabin."

After mutating it, Harry tweaked it and gave it to a willing house elf to have inserted into the spoiled horse's breakfast, and, since it was about 4 o'clock right now, it would die pretty soon. It had been ingested at 5, and it took 12 hours to kill. Julius had stalked out and slammed the door violently behind him. The staring students quickly looked away when Harry nailed them with a look promising such violence and pain that they figured asking would be distinctly painful and therefore not worth it.

Pansy leaned over and whispered something into a first year's ear, sending the kid off to pass the message on to whoever cared to hear it. By 7 that night, when the group settled in to eat dinner, everyone knew that Julius Malfoy was being a prat about his horse dying and had unfairly blamed his brother Draco. Hufflepuffs gave the now-embarrassed blond looks of pity when they entered the hall, and would then glare at Julius, who was almost crying from the death of his prized possession. Now what was he going to use to impress girls?

-----

Daphne was snooping around the abandoned teacher's lounge when she caught sight of their head of house, fast asleep on a sofa with a gray cat asleep in his lap. A cat she recognized as their Transfiguration professor's Animagus form. _'Well, that's disturbing. Just don't think about it…'_

Needless to say, she avoided entering that particular lounge from then on.

--------

In a certain kitchen of a certain pub in a certain French village, an interrogation was taking place. And I don't mean those creepy ones you see on TV with the dark room and a single bright light bulb. This was the kind that older brothers would use on their little sister's first boyfriend and the like. Although the actual participants were two brothers and a dear friend that had supposedly died years ago.

"So, James, what have you been doing with yourself since we were declared dead?" Sirius asked casually, making himself comfortable on his still-confused friend.

"Well, I had a kid with Lily, got attacked at Godric's Hallow by You-Know-Who, Remus, Lily, and my kid died, I went a little nuts and got thrown into St. Mungo's, almost died from the medicine that stuffed in my veins, got rescued by Maalik, escaped with Maalik, and after wandering around for a while ended up here. And then some psycho comes and jumps me."

"I didn't jump you! If I had, Regulus would be castrating us right now."

James stared. Sirius, realizing what he'd said and what it implied, slapped a hand over his mouth. In the background Regulus face-palmed, once again reminded of why his brother had been sorted into the Lion's House.

"Is it just me, or are you insinuating what I think you're insinuating?" When Sirius' only reply was a deepening blush, he sighed and said, "It's okay, Sirius. Do you really think I didn't notice all those looks you guys would exchange at school? Usually, if you hate someone, you don't wink and flirt with your eyes when you think nobody's watching."

"Y-you knew? The whole time?"

"No, Remus made the connection first and told me and then it all made sense. Like I said, it's okay with me. You love who you love, and nobody should be able to tell you that you can't be with somebody because that somebody happens to be the same gender or your sibling."

"Oh, thank God! I couldn't bear it if our friendship got ruined because I'm with Reg. How is Remus, by the way?"

"Weren't you listening? He died the same night Lily and Harry did." Now that he had said it out loud, James realized that it didn't as bad as when he said it in his head. Maybe there was some merit to that whole 'talk it out' theory.

"What?" Sirius whispered, looking stricken. James completely understood what he was feeling right now. They had survived so much for so long that it was almost impossible to comprehend one of them actually got killed. Sometimes it would seem like Gryffindors never truly let go of the feeling of invincibility that most teenagers live by.

Wordlessly, Regulus approached and pulled Sirius half onto his lap, racking slightly until the shaking in his brother's shoulders died down to small tremors. James joined, making it a strange group hug, the two calmer males exchanging a look of acknowledgment of the other's place in the man's life over Sirius' head.

-----------

End ch46

Hope you liked! Review if you did…or I'll die!!


	47. Chapter 47

CHAPTER 47

Luna and Harry were sitting on a rock in the middle of the lake, throwing rolls of leftover bread from dinner to the Giant Squid. The pink tentacles moved cheerfully, occasionally stroking their feet that were dangling in the freezing water. He was surprised that the lake hadn't frozen over just yet, but it was probably magic preventing it from doing so anyway.

The Headmaster watched them uneasily from a tree branch that belonged to a fir tree on a larger rock close to the one that two students were currently curled up on. According to the school rules, they weren't doing anything wrong and it made him want to cry. How was he supposed to get the kid sent to prison before he turned seventeen if he never did anything illegal? Suspicious, yes, but not illegal. And now he was consorting with insane Ravenclaws! What was next? The Dark Lord?

--------

Four boys were crammed onto one bed, three of whom were attempting to read over the shoulder of the fourth. Harry desperately wanted to read the letter from Hell that he'd found on his bed when classes were over, but his dorm mates had noticed the unusual paper and had immediately tackled him, all trying to see who it was from.

"You guys! It is just from a friend, and I'd like to read it alone if you don't mind!"

Theodore snickered and asked, "Is it from a girl, Harry? Is that why you've gone all secretive on us?"

Unfortunately, this momentary lapse in their strength allowed Harry to slip free and out the door. Moving quickly and efficiently, he climbed the stairs of a random tower and settled himself on its roof. Finally alone, he carefully opened the missive and unfolded the piece of paper within.

_Harry,_

_I will be able to spend Christmas with you, so try to stay at the Castle this year. However, because of the problems down here, I will have to leave the week after. I miss you like crazy, and am very lonely. Wish I could bring you with me, but that defies so many rules that I would get ex-communicated and placed in the lake of fire with the rest of the Humans, which mean never seeing you again. So, just wait for me until Christmas. _

_For some reason, Satan says 'hi'. You must have made a really good impression on him if he is being this friendly. Prepare to be interrogated this Christmas. _

_I love you,_

_ASMODEUS _

Harry smiled and tucked the letter in to his bag. It was going to make his books smell like smoke and brimstone, but he didn't care. Resting his elbows on his bent knees, he surveyed the grounds and the students just starting to mill around. He spotted Daphne squinting up at him and waved. She waved back and quickly headed inside. Several minutes later, he saw her head poke out of the window below him. Smiling, she asked, "Alright, Mr. Ninja, how do you get up there?"

He took a few seconds to ponder how she knew about Ninjas before offering his arm. She grasped it and held on tightly while he pulled her up. She seemed surprised. "You're stronger than you look, Harry. I mean, I don't think Draco could pull me up 4 feet of air with one arm, and he's bigger than you."

"Well, appearances are deceiving."

"The boys said you got a letter, and that you went off alone to read it. Why is it so personal?"

He blushed and shifted slightly in place. Daphne saw this and a sly smile curved her lips. "Are you, perhaps, seeing someone? Someone you can't talk about because, maybe, it isn't legal?" He stared at her. How the hell did she know?

"I take it I'm right?" Deciding that it wouldn't hurt to at least acknowledge his relationship with Asmodeus, he nodded. Her mouth dropped open. "Are-are you serious, Harry? You're seeing someone illegally?"

"Yeah, he is…um…a LOT older than me."

"Him?"

_Oh shit. _

-----------

After a grueling and highly embarrassing conversation with a very interested Daphne, he managed to escape to the library. Thank God she didn't know that Asmodeus and Raito were the same being. Yet.

He'd forgotten how easy it was for girls to weasel the truth out of him, and it has cost him the revealing of his paramour. Thinking of Asmodeus made him smile and pull the letter out of his bag to inhale. The smell of smoke used to make his lungs feel suffocated and his eyes burn, but now it was comforting and made him think of Hell.

Browsing the shelves of the Restricted Section for something to read, his eyes chanced across a book on Divination. Wondering why something as harmless as a Divination book was being kept here, he pulled it off the shelf. Its title read, "Divining, Communication, and Summoning of the Angels of Death". Well, that explained why it was here but did not explain why a school for children would have such a book in its arsenal. Shrugging, he removed the Restrictive Spell that prevented underage Wizards from reading it and tucked it into his bag.

No doubt the information would be grossly inaccurate, considering the pitifully small number of people ever fortunate enough to return from Hell, and no one ever left the clutches of Heaven so what truly occurred in the 3rd plane is still unknown.

-------

End ch47

Sorry guys, this will be the last chapter until January since I am going to Florida and then out of the country. I will have NO INTERNET (cue dramatic sobbing) and will therefore be unable to update at all until my return. Don't worry, this is not being abandoned. Asmodeus would kill me. Ariaeris, I will miss you!!


	48. Chapter 48

CHAPTER 48

John felt very uncomfortable as he looked around the dreamscape his subconscious had crafted for him. Even though he knew he was dreaming, the swirling shadows were intimidating and the brief flashes of red made his heart beat faster. His skin prickled with goose bumps as It materialized at last, horns gleaming from within with the light of a thousand fires used for the burning of the damned. It was a Dragon, scales a muddy red not unlike the dried blood that coated the exposed teeth in It's seven mouths. Fangs bared in ghastly grin, the collective heads of the Creature appraised his terrified form. He began to shake, feeling sure that he would be devoured. He didn't know what he had done wrong, but it had to have been serious if he was being sentenced to this. The closest head suddenly reared, snapping back and then forwards, great maw wide to swallow him. His feet wouldn't move, muscles frozen in terror.

Just as he was enclosed in the wet darkness of the mouth, he felt something shaking him insistently. Gasping, he sat up in bed, head colliding with something hard. "Ouch, dammit!" He cried, grabbing his aching skull. Strangely, his eyes were still seeing spots from the brightness of the Dragon's fire. Was that possible? Deciding that seeing if Rael was alright was more important, he filed the dream away for later consideration.

---------------(you may have forgotten about them, but their romance is still part of the story, dammit! shakes fist)

Their little investigative group now had a new member. He had joined without asking her permission, and was quite rude to the Aurors whenever possible. He also had long hair; something that she knew annoyed the conservative officers.

She liked him already.

The Healer was examining a map, trying to figure out where they were since she had lied and said she was lost just to make them squirm. Oh yes, she was sadistic and enjoying herself far more than she should be since she was tracking down this guy so they could kill him. So far, her 'make them walk in circles while I get paid to do nothing' scheme was working, and whoever James Potter was, he was safe for now.

Looking up from her chipped nails, she saw Healer Wimberley coming towards her, map tucked under his arm. He looked tired but happy as he rattled off a list of possible towns close by where they could stop and get new supplies. A nostalgic smile curved her lips when she remembered what it was like to be full with the joy of life and love. Yes, definitely love, she thought, watching their latest companion out of the corner of her eye.

----------

The Castle was happy, Harry noted, running the pads of his fingers along her walls while he strolled to his last class. He had gotten out of his previous one early, so he could take his time and appreciate the unique beauty that was the castle he called home. It seemed to wink at him from the corners, though he wasn't sure how a building could wink or feel things like a little hand playing with the patterns in the stones. He heard someone coming down the same hall as him and paused to place a notice-me-not charm on himself, since he wasn't feeling sociable. It was Cho Chang, the Ravenclaw he'd 'punished' a while back. Feeling juvenile, he reached out to tug on one of her thick braids but had a sudden flashback of doing something similar to Mara years ago. He pulled back his hand as if burned, and hurried to class before he made himself late, good mood forgotten.

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End chapter 48

W00t! It lives! silence Umm, anybody happy to see me again? some tumbleweed blows by I, uh, guess not walks off, shoulders slumped.

Don't do that to me!!! Review and show support for pretty demons and molestable little boys that haven't gotten molested yet. You know you love it….


	49. Chapter 49

CHAPTER 49

Grinning, a skeletal figure emerged from Hade's Cave, the meager light of the moon shining through his translucent skin. All around was rolling fog, rising up from the foul-smelling pools of blood and other inner body fluids not meant to be seen. A battle had taken place here recently, Tom could tell, and quite a gruesome one at that. He kicked the severed head of a human out of his way as he picked his way through the occasional acidic clouds of vapor that were clearly nefarious, since they turned any flesh they touched into smoke.

He recognized the yellow clouds of acid as an obsolete method of disposing of unwanted corpses invented some thousand years ago as a means of dealing with the victims of the Kaskequisten Plague who'd passed on, since the number of dead bodies exceeded the amount of workers willing to bury them. It wasn't used after that, though, since it was unstable and made any ground it passed over unable to produce crops for several hundred years. The Plague was one of the greatest blows to Wizarding society since the Dark Lord Nadir of the House of Equuleus, the lesser House in the branch Thuban. He had come out of nowhere, birthplace a small village in Turkey, but he had managed to permanently stunt the growth of magic, creating a new breed of human, called Mudbloods at the time. Previous to his creation of them, Wizards had thought that the complete removal of magic would kill a human, since it was their life source, what made their thoughts flow and their hearts pump blood.

Even though most Pureblood families could no longer have near as many children as before, they stubbornly resisted breeding with Mudbloods or Muggleborns since their magic was so fragile. Many once-noble magical families had been turned to nothing but Squibs because the Muggleborn's magic had collapsed, taking their spouse's with it.

The Ministry had turned a blind eye to this, proclaiming that Muggles and any variety of them had every right to marry whoever they wanted and placed many Muggleborns in positions of power in the government. Needless to say, this greatly weakened the magical structure of the world, allowing Dark Lords like Grindelwald and Voldemort to rise to power, with no one to stop them. Not that Tom was complaining.

He was sure that his rise would go unchallenged once again. Or, it would if he could figure out which direction led out of this swamp without getting sent back to where he'd come from.

------

One of the many silver instruments in Albus' office had been ringing incessantly for the past 3 hours. He hadn't turned it off, frozen in his chair. How could this be? They had killed the Slytherin bastard years ago, thinking themselves rid of him forever. Or rather, that strange cloaked being had. Had it all been a ruse? The being could very well have merely taken the Dark Lord to a different plane of existence and made him stronger for all he knew!

One thing was clear. It was time to summon the Order. Abruptly standing, he made his way to the door, pausing to switch off his alarm along the way. The stairs blurred as he rushed down them and to the teacher's lounge where he knew at least the Heads of Houses would have congregated to play cards and share stories about their student's antics.

Not bothering to knock, he burst in, startling Filius into scattering his cards and falling off his stack of books. Minerva's head snapped up from where it had been leaning on Severus' shoulder (this was a new development he would need to investigate later) and she glared balefully at him. "Honestly, Albus! Now that Filius' has lost his cards, we'll have to start a new game. I was winning, too!"

"Now is not the time to be upset about a card game-"

"That's easy for you to say-"

"Something terrible has just happene-

"It's not like you were playing with us so how dare you dis-

"WILL YOU LET ME FINISH!" Albus finally roared, having lost patience with her interrupting him. Pomona and Filius stared at him while Minerva sputtered. Severus looked pissed at him, black eyes narrowing to the expression of ire he usually reserved fir anyone with the name of Weasley. Now that his entire staff was upset with him, he explained that his tracking device that he'd made just in case Voldemort ever came back had been ringing for the last several hours. When he was done talking, Minerva rolled her eyes and said, "Honestly, Albus, why didn't you say so?"

A very long and very loud argument then took place; lasting until the sun rose and they had to disperse to get ready for their students.

--------

Harry noticed that his teachers were especially tetchy today, and all of them featured prominent dark circles under their eyes. The best part was that they didn't seem to be paying as much attention to their class, so he was able to draw a portrait of his Head of House without him noticing. Ron Weasley still got yelled at for melting half the table, though.

He was partnered with Draco in Herbology, and learned that his mother had just made some drastic leaps towards regaining her full sanity again. The blonde's cheeks had been flushed with happiness as he relayed the information that her nurse had sent him. At lunch, which Draco had to skip so he could write a paper that was due in their next class, Harry passed it on to Blaise, Millicent, Ted, and Pansy. Daphne was sick today, having caught something called the 'flu' from a Muggleborn first year. He reminded himself to go visit her after classes.

"So, Harry, how is that cat of yours? I haven't seen him in a while, and I am starting to miss it." Ted was looking at him intently, a hidden question in his eyes. Harry shifted in his chair and replied, "I don't know. He disappears sometimes, but he always comes back in the end so I'm not worried or anything. Just wait, he'll be back." Half of this was to reassure himself, since it _had _been awhile since he'd heard from his favorite Demon.

"I hope so." Theodore's eyes were still watching him closely, and Harry hardened his own to meet the gaze firmly, conveying that he didn't need what Ted was offering. Their friends had gone silent, watching the duel currently going on. Theodore accepted Harry's independence and looked away, striking up a conversation with Pansy about Palmistry.

----

The Hospital Wing was deserted when he entered it that evening, thin hand holding a plate of Daphne's favorite foods. She seemed to have smelled him coming, because she sat up in bed and held her hands out for the plate. "Oh, thank you, Harry! I am starving and the Nurse went off to some kind of meeting the Headmaster is holding so I haven't had anything to eat since this morning."

"Well, couldn't you have gotten out and stopped by the kitchens?"

"I did that yesterday and got caught by the Nurse, and she put a charm over the bed so I can only leave it to use the loo, and it sends me back when I'm done in there. I swear, my arse is so sore from sitting on it all day I don't know what to do." Her face scrunched up in mock pain and Harry started laughing, eventually choking on his saliva and falling off his chair. Then it was Daphne's turn to laugh at him, since he made a fine picture sprawled in a very un-Slytherin-y heap on the floor.

When the laughter trailer off, Harry sat up and hopped on the bed next to her, depositing her homework on the table next to the bed. Watching her eat, he slowly drifted off to sleep.

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End Chapter 49

Hope you liked!


	50. Chapter 50

A/N: Well, this story is growing up so fast! 50 chapters already. This was written while listening to chick-flick-ish music, so it just might show.

CHAPTER 50

A pedestal rested in the center of a raised platform of rock. All around was a barren field, the soil far too rocky for any living thing to survive in it. Nothing moved, the air still and silent. Then an anguished cry resounded throughout the plain, resonating out of the pedestal and shaking the stones of the field.

As quickly as it had come, the freakish sound subsided and all was silent once again. But it had achieved its purpose, for in the Hall of Judgment the cry had been heard and action was taken to prevent its agony.

---

Asmodeus was sharing a tent with 13 humans and still felt lonely. Most of the other men were currently playing poker, and quite noisily too. A couple of fist fights had already broken out over cheating and had been resolved by a superior officer interfering. He sat on his cot, staring at his hands. This war may have seemed to come out of nowhere, but he had watched the pieces come together after hundreds of years, each year further weakening the original restraints that they had placed on the Beast. Before, he hadn't cared about the tremendous threat hanging over humanity, but now things were different. There was Harry and his happiness to worry about, happiness that directly affected his own. Sometimes he wished that he could just take Harry with him to Hell and put him in a safe place, somewhere where nobody could hurt him or take away the fragile naiveté that he found so attractive.

One of the human soldiers was approaching him, absence unnoticed by his companions. Cautiously, the young man sat down next to Asmodeus on his cot, nervously twisting his hands in his lap. Shy brown eyes flickered over him out from under short lashes. Finally, he asked, "Are-are you alright? You've been all alone over here for hours."

The Demon faked a smile and replied, "Yes, I'm fine. I just don't feel particularly energetic right now and I don't play poker. I apologize for worrying you." The man blushed and looked back down at his hands. "I'm sick of poker, too. I never win and now I have no money left." He laughed a little and looked over at the group of his rowdy companions.

"So, um, where are you from?" He was clearly trying to make conversation, but Asmodeus knew the look of adoration lurking in those eyes. He couldn't let this crush develop, so he curtly replied, "None of your business. I'd like to be alone now, if you don't mind."

The soldier looked wounded and dejectedly skulked off back to where his friends were betting their money away and getting it back just as quickly. Asmodeus felt a faint pang of remorse for having hurt someone just trying to be friendly, but he knew all too well just where friendly can lead when you are attractive and there is no feminine company to be had.

Sighing, he pulled a notebook out of his pack and began writing another letter to Harry in it. He hadn't been able to get any of them delivered to Harry's dimension, but he intended to give the notebook as a present to Harry when he next managed to sneak away.

---

Daphne was no longer sick, and is currently amusing herself by twisting Blaise's hair into dreadlocks, humming something cheerful. This had been going on for about 5 minutes when one if the older students apparently couldn't take the hyperness anymore and stalker over to her, towering over her by at least 4 feet. The humming paused while she looked up at Marcus Flint, captain of the Quidditch team and asked, "Did you need something?"

"Yes! Some peace and quiet if its not too much trouble for your pea-sized brain to comprehend. Some of us have important essays to write and irritating sound waves are not conducive to the completion of afore-mentioned assignments. Now shut up before I make you and stop being so damn cheerful."

"Yes sah!" Daphne gave him a snappy salute, blond hair making her eyes sparkle. Marcus swallowed. He wasn't used to seeing that kind of cuteness, not having any younger sisters or little cousins.

"Um, yeah." He headed back to his chair, and tried to convince himself that he wasn't blushing.

---------

End chapter 50

I know some of you guys are probably sitting there thinking that the 'cute overload syndrome' is unrealistic, but let me tell you this: all the unusual behavior is stuff I have seen happen to boys and girls I know, so this kinda stuff is possible. And there are some unbelievably adorable little girls out there.

Review if you love me!


	51. Chapter 51

CHAPTER 51

An alcove tucked far into the Restricted section of the library was occupied by a group of 2nd year Slytherins, each intently reading a nefarious-looking book. Blaise sat next to Draco, sharing a text on poisonous Arian Creatures while Pansy was curled up at their feet reading a poetic interpretation of a vampire lord titled "Vladimir the Ferocious" by an anonymous authoress. Daphne was curled up on Millicent's lap, sleeping while the much larger girl read Harry's "Dark Lords Through the Ages" over his shoulder. Greg was also sleeping, his weight nearly crushing an irritated Ted who was attempting to study a tome on the construction and detection methods used for tracing dark wizards.

Out of their group, Vincent was the only one missing and that was because he had detention. He had been pestered by a Gryffindor girl named Hermione Granger about where he had gotten a couple of his more…questionable books and he'd told her off. Unfortunately, the Gryffindor head of house had been passing by and only heard his frustrated outburst. He had been assigned detention with the Groundskeeper Rubeus Hagrid, something that made his friends fear for the completeness of his limbs. Hagrid was known for having a slightly too-friendly view of deadly magical creatures that often ended badly for any students foolish enough to get pulled in on an excursion with the man.

Daphne abruptly started giggling in her sleep, snuggling closer to Millicent. Gregory snorted, waking up. He joined his classmates in staring at the still-giggling Daphne oddly. Yes, she was a generally cheerful person, but this was weird even for her. Harry smiled at her and went back to his reading.

-------

It was here! The alarms shrieked frantically, making Bronislav's ears ring from the persistent sound waves. He could feel the bank's marble floors shaking and crumbling to dust under the weight of the Beast. The smell of death, a collage of rotting flesh and infected gauges on mottled skin with just a tinge of intestines soaked in blood came floating past his nostrils, nearly making him vomit. Beside him one of the guards glanced back over his shoulder as they ran, meeting eyes with the horror pursuing them and promptly dropped dead on the floor. Bronislav felt no pity for the grunt, since he had personally briefed all of his soldiers on just what would happen to them if they dared to look at what they were fighting.

It was the foolish Muggle's own fault if he chooses to disregard the multiple warnings graciously given to him. Another of his men looked like he was going to go back and attempt to retrieve the body of his comrade so he shouted over the alarms and the Beast's approach, "Leave him! We've no time and I need all of you to help me fight him!" The man looked frightened at the reminder of his future task, but speed up to keep up with the rest of the troops in their battalion.

Up ahead he could see a wall, and no exits along the walls. Dammit, he must have taken a wrong turn. God knows that the abandoned bank they were in made Midas' maze look like a kiddy tunnel. Catching sight of a narrow air duct, he alerted his panicking men to it and was lifted into the air by one of the taller troops to get to work unscrewing the piece of serrated metal while some of the others moved a large desk over to stand on. Freeing the metal trapdoor, he stepped on to the table and pulled himself up into the dusty channel. He felt his men start to do the same, and began crawling in a direction he roughly determined as east.

If they could just get to the other side of the complex, they had a chance at locking the creature inside the marble building. With the proper spellwork and warding, the Beast would have no escape and they'd be able to send it back to the Endless Desert from whence it had come. Moving faster, he shimmied through what felt like miles of a dusty metal tunnel in almost complete darkness, his soldier's terrified breathing letting him know that they still followed him. Finally, he deemed them close enough to the outside walls, and punched through the closest vent leading downwards. His random stop surprised the soldier behind him, causing a rather embarrassing collision involving Bronislav's backside and the now blushing soldier's face. Twisting himself into a complex pattern, the doctor managed to land on his feet in the hall they currently occupied. There were some distant sounds of the charging Creature, but it was far enough away that he deemed it safe for them to start warding the building.

The last of them came out of the vent and he led them through the shabby back hallways of the bank and out a back door meant for delivery of various supplies.

Ordering them to make their way through the forest preserve and to the camp, he waited for them to disappear into the greenery, he set to work. They couldn't afford to let the creature near any hapless humans.

-----

"And so, in conclusion, the Dark Lord must be traced and eliminated before he raises his Death Eaters in an attack upon the Wizarding world." The Order blinked at him. "Does anybody here own any books on tracing Dark Magic?" He asked, getting impatient.

"I thought we agreed to leave them all here, Albus." Mrs. Weasley cut in, looking nervous at the talk of Dark Magic.

"Yes, they _were _in the library, securely warded against all prying eyes but our own, but they have disappeared recently along with several other worrying volumes normally kept under lock and key in the furthermost reaches of this Castle."

Most of the women gasped, and the men looked shocked to hear that something had managed to disappear out from under the Headmaster's very nose. Wasn't he supposed to know everything? "What do you mean they've disappeared?" Minerva spoke up, glaring spitfire at the bearded old man. Her lips were pursed, and he trembled to think of what she was going to do to him when the others left. Some of those books had been family heirlooms that she had been quite attached to, and had trusted him to keep safe during the war.

"I meant just what I said, Minerva. They disappeared into thin air apparently since any trace of anyone's, even Madam Pince , magical signature has been removed from that area by someone quite talented in those kinds of things. I have no idea who could have been snooping around back there, since none of my current students have the necessary skills to have done such a thing and the rest of the staff besides you and Severus have been searched and questioned. An outsider must have intruded and removed them somehow without anybody noticing."

"Why didn't you just ask the Castle? She sees everything that takes place inside these walls after all, so that should have been your first move."

Albus almost started squirming when he felt the floor burn his feet though his heels. "She has been…unreasonable with me lately and refused to tell me anything."

Minerva looked, if possible, even more pissed off. "What the hell did you do this time Albus?" She ground out between clenched teeth. Severus, sitting next to her, placed a hand on her knee under the table and out of sight of the rest of the Order. She began to calm down.

"I didn't do anything!" Albus attempted to defend himself. "She is just being hormonal right now-ouch!" The floor had been rapidly heating beneath his feet during his speech and now it had set fire to his wooden heels, which had spread to the fabric of his footwear. Collapsing on the floor, he attempted to remove his shoes but they seemed fused to his feet, the flames now climbing up his sock and onto his bright green robes.

Two hours later found Albus in the Hospital Wing, with a disapproving madam Pomfrey coating his half-melted feet in healing salves and shoving disgusting and most likely entirely unnecessary potions down his throat.

----

Maggie had been intending to get herself a glass of water, and had walked into the Hotel's bathroom, passing by the open door of the Healer's bedroom. Feeling curious, she peeked in and was treated to the sight of John pressed against a wall by Rael, who almost looked like he was emitting some kind of benign glow, kissing passionately. Realizing that she was seeing something very personal, she quietly closed the door and padded down the hall to the loo.

----

"This is will be good for you, James. Just trust me." Somehow Sirius had convinced him to sneak back into England and into the Ministry's archive room. It was the anniversary of the massacre at Godric's Hollow, and Sirius said that she should at least see where the memorial site was so they could pay their respects to Remus, his wife, and little Harry. Sifting through the massive stacks of parchment proved to be no small task, and they had already spent several hours just trying to find the event. Pulling out the article, James skimmed it looking for the typical information on tourist locations for reflection on the war when his eyes caught sight of two words. 'Survived' and 'Potter'. Hadn't the Ministry declared him dead?

It was the word 'survivor' that made him pause. Eyes flicking back up, he carefully read the paragraph.

"_Out of the horrendous tragedy, only the infant Harry James Potter survived. His father lived for a short period after the initial attack, but died from the Dark spells used to torture him. The infant was placed in the care of his closest relatives by suggestion of Albus Dumbledore, Order of Merlin."_

His son was alive? His precious child, his only son, little Harry, was alive? "Harry survived?" He breathed, catching the attention of Maalik, who had been busily sifting through a stack of cemetery addresses.

"What was that, James?" He set down his stack where he had found it and crawled over to where James was sitting cross-legged on the floor. Getting no response, he rested his chin on his shoulder and read the article rapidly. The Black brothers tore themselves away from the lists of where people were buried and rushed over as well.

"Your son is alive?" Maalik finally asked, looking shocked. He hadn't had time to read the paper growing up and so had no recollection of the massacre other than 'everybody died'.

"Yes." James whispered, clearly in shock.

-----

End chapter 51

Okay, FINALLY some action. Rael has apparently asserted himself to poor John, and now Jamesie knows about dear darling Harry-kins. I am open to suggestions about their reunion, but tell me quick, okay? I've already made myself impatient to update.

Review!

And thank you to MalenkaMaus for your continuing support of this endeavor.


	52. Chapter 52

CHAPTER 52

Despite much pleading, James was now standing on the front doorstep of those hateful relatives of Lily's, alone. The others were currently sulking in a Muggle café, nursing coffees and no doubt glaring at any admiring female daring to come near. Raising his hand, he rapped his knuckles against the polished door. He knew quite well what kind of Muggles these were, and Merlin knows what they had done to his precious child. The midday sun was starting to burn the back of his neck when the door finally swung open, a skinny woman with a very long neck peering up at him. At first, her face showed indifference and then it seemed to dawn on her just who it was.

Gasping, she pointed an accusing finger at him (which was quite rude) and cried, "You, filthy man, you died in that accident years ago! Take your freakish ghost off my front doorstep at once before the neighbors see you!"

Deciding that if she was going to be incredibly rude, he might as well return the favor and give her a taste of her own medicine. He pushed past her and into their entry way, seating himself on the steps leading to the second story. All along the walls were pictures of her, what must be her husband and a blob of fat that could only be their son with only a tuft of blond hair atop his head identifying him as human. No where was any sign of a kid with black hair and green eyes.

Turning his attention back to Petunia Dursley, he got right to point. "Where is my son, Mrs. Dursley?"

"What, Harry? I haven't seen him since the accident. He got sent to an orphanage and we've had nothing to do with the brat since. Now you take yourself and your unnaturalness out of my neighborhood before I call a Bobby on you."

"Wait, what accident?" James was starting to get worried. How long ago had this accident been? Was Harry still hurt?

"Well, apparently he got attacked in the middle of the night by some abusive man and ended up in the hospital. After that he spawned some lie about us abusing him and got sent to an orphanage. I don't even know the names of the orphanage so don't ask." James stared at her, stricken. "Listen, if you want to find your kid, go track down his social security records and see what the social workers did with him. I can't and won't help you. Since my husband is in prison, I've been barely scraping by and you've already made me late for my afternoon shift. Please don't come back here again. I want nothing to do with your kind or my nephew."

He rose slowly from his seat, in a daze as she ushered him out the door and headed for her car.

-------

Harry hummed, feet swinging back and forth, toes dipping in the lake as he sucked on a lolly. Luna sat next to him, sipping a lager while reading what looked like a romance novel. Normally, he would be in DADA class right now but their incompetent teacher, Gilderoy Lockhart, had had some kind of accident the night before that had left him petrified. The rest of the teachers were too busy administering exams to the 7th years to fill in, so that class had been canceled for the day while the Headmaster tracked down a replacement. Most of the students from other houses were terrified of whatever it was that could have petrified their teacher, and now traveled in small groups rather than alone.

And so they had elected to spend their free time at the lake, since it was currently unusually warm for November. Luna's foot bumped Harry's and they smiled at each other. She offered her beer and he accepted, taking a cautious sip. It was good, so he had another. Handing it back to her, he lay back so he was lying on the grass with just his feet for the Squid to play with. The tentacles were particularly soothing today, since they now had to walk more in between classes since the Castle had decided to move the rooms again. At least the dorms had been left alone, although one of Harry's t-shirts was suspiciously missing. A strong wind suddenly swept across the lake, splashing his rolled-up trousers and Luna's stockings which she had opted to leave on, even though they were soaked.

He shivered and felt the ground warm under him, quickly returning the heat stolen by the wind. Smiling, he removed the lolly from his mouth for a second before popping it back in and twirling it with his tongue. He _loved _it here. Stroking the grass to show his appreciation, he sat back up to read over Luna's shoulder. Eyes widening, he blushed and quickly looked away. Wasn't she a little young?

--------

End chapter 52

So, James is discovering that Harry's childhood was a bit more complicated than 'lives with mean magic-phobic relatives'.

And the pervy second part to the chapter was supposed to be funny. If little girls reading something very similar to porn bothers you, my sincerest apologies.


	53. Chapter 53

CHAPTER 53

Harry was sprawled on his bed, unable to sleep or leave his dormitory due to some new wards set up by the Headmaster to prevent students from getting petrified at night. Personally, Harry considered the whole thing way overblown, and the safety measures were only breeding panic, not emotional security. For instance, the Hufflepuff Quidditch captain, Cedric Diggory, had come running in the Great Hall during dinner, shrieking something about being followed by a great creature. It had turned out to be the Weasley twins, who apologized profusely for their 'insensitive and badly timed prank'. They would be serving detention with professor Snape for the rest of the month, something that got them sympathetic looks from all the other houses other than Slytherin.

Theodore had recently introduced him to the pleasures of smoking, although cigarettes were hard to come by, and Harry twirled his in his fingers before taking a drag. It was nearing 3 in the morning, so he deemed his dorm mates asleep enough for him to open a window, since it was quite stuffy in the room.

Sliding off his bed, he walked the few feet to the window, sliding it open soundlessly and climbing up onto the sill. Tucking his cigarette behind his ear, he scaled the jutting stones easily until he sat on a large one overlooking the lake. Most people thought the dungeons to be deep underground, and there were levels that deep, but they became flooded during the spring so the Slytherin dormitories were actually set in the side of the rock bed next to the lake and they had concealed windows overlooking it.

Pulling out a book from his ever-present school bag, he cracked it open and began re-reading the methods for tracking dark magic. Removing his notebook from the same bag, he began to take more notes for his spells to reverse it and make something untraceable. He resisted the urge to start laughing when he realized the Headmaster was crouching on the rock closest to his own, watching him like a hawk. Thank God he had put a slipcover over the book he'd stolen from the library (along with any others on the topic and a few very old volumes filled with extinct but highly amusing spellwork).

Technically, he was still in his dorm so he wasn't disobeying any school rules.

-------

"What do you mean I don't have access to those records? I'm his father!" James was getting desperate, and the overweight woman wasn't exactly helpful or sympathetic.

"Unless you have the records to prove it, or some form of I.D., I can't help you, sir. Please remove yourself from my office before I call security on your ass."

"Oh, I'll be back, Miss. Maggs, mark my words. You can not keep me from my son!"

"I'm sure. Now get out." She cackled at him while he skulked out, thoroughly pissed off.

------

Minister Fudge was feeling nervous. Lately, he'd felt himself watched, and he was sure someone was following him whenever he so much as stepped out of his office. He did not like it one bit since he couldn't exactly do some of his more questionable business with his…contacts if someone had set somebody to watch him. Who knew what side the stalker was on anyway?

He had informed his chief confidant, Dolores Umbridge, of the situation and she'd said she would handle it. However, two days later the aurors she'd sent to deal with the annoyance had turned up in pieces. The box had been wrapped quite nicely too, so there was a possibility that the stalker was female, or homosexual.

Shuddering at the last thought, he set to work signing forms without bothering to read what he was approving.

----

Sighing, Maggie dug her toes further into the soothing mud that coated the swamp they were currently camped in. John and that redhead had suspiciously disappeared several hours ago without any of her 'minions' noticing. The Aurors did not appreciate their new title, and frequently complained about her and her methods when they thought she wasn't listening. None of them had the courage to contest her to her face, though, which amused her to no end as most of them had been Gryffindors and were therefore supposed to be brave. She snickered as she remembered some of the more ridiculous names she'd overheard them call her.

Unfortunately, the doctor had noticed that their directionless wanderings actually were directionless and had started to pay a lot more attention to their surroundings, giving new orders to the men that had gradually led them in the direction of the French countryside, which was peppered with small villages. So far, they'd searched most of the villages for the magical signatures they were looking for, and had come very close to something that felt like a heavy residue. However, the men had grown tired and insisted they stop.

The swamp had been her idea, since the bugs and other creatures wouldn't dare to come near her but felt free to terrorize her companions. She jumped and then smiled when one of the Aurors gave a girlish scream, leaping up from where he'd been sitting when a garden snake nipped his ankle.

-----

End chapter 53


	54. Chapter 54

CHAPTER 54

This was the final straw in a long series of final straws. Lucifer was fully pissed off now and he would not be going back to his usual temperament for quite a while. "Satan! Get your ass in here and bring me some wine while you're at it, goddammit!"

"Yes, you're majesty!" Satan screamed back, sounding equally like a woman on menopause. Minutes later he came stalking in and flung a bottle of cheap champagne at his Superior, who caught it. "Now, what has got your panties in a knot this time? And don't you dare drink all of that." He pointed at the wine bottle which Lucifer was busy swigging.

Swallowing, he replied, "The Beast has been secured, but he managed to swallow a certain something that we need very much to prevent a certain end of all human life in a much shorter time than previously agreed upon. And that Dark what's-his-name got loose from Hade's Cove and is wandering around in vamp territory as we speak. I think we both know how charming he can be, and the vamps united for a cause that does not suit our means is very, very bad."

"Then why don't you send some grunt to go off him again and we can lock him up in a place where escaping is a worse punishment than staying in captivity?"

"Because we already used that one, and the current inmate would eat that Dark Nothing and regurgitate him back to life so the point is moot." Lucifer paused to take a draw from the bottle and passed it to Satan. "I was actually wondering if you would be willing to create a place where we can store the more…disruptive souls placed in our care? Before you answer, keep in mind the consequences to ourselves and our cause should we fail."

"You-you would place this burden on me?"

"I can't think of someone more qualified than you, Enki, and I'm counting on you to preserve our way of existence. Or am I the only one who remembers what happened last time our lack of effort cost us so much? Remember what it was like to be surrounded by light and darkness at the same time? What if he decides to take away our darkness like he did the light? Would you endanger us such for the sake of your pride?"

"You shouldn't speak to me of pride, seeing as it was yours that got us landed here in the first place." Satan almost snarled.

"As if I forced you to follow me."

"Now you undermine your own persuasiveness? What's next? Your sensuality?" Lucifer rose from his chair, glaring. Before Satan's eyes, he seemed to grow larger, great shadows rising up behind him in the shape of wings.

"Do not dare to mock me, weaker one. I have lit the night skies for far longer than you have been in existence, and I have watched the ways of the world until I understood all they did. It is their desires that guide them, and this dark speck has the charisma to mold others into desiring the same things he desires and this must be stopped before our supply of misguided fools rising to the breaking point. Do try to recall that there is a limit to the souls that we can receive annually, and this one threatens our sacred system with his bloodlust."

Recovering from his terror, Satan dared to speak. "You still have not told me of why the Vampires similar desire does not impede our progress. Shouldn't we eradicate them instead of rearranging an organization that has been here for as long as we have dwelled in this cesspool of human filth?"

"The Vampires are rejects from any respectable circle of the Void of Nox, so they are not significant enough to be considered a threat. A Dark Lord, however, is an instrument of terror to the very idiotic sheep we harvest, and that is a direct challenge to our authority."

Satan raised an eyebrow. "So this _is _about your pride, again, isn't it?"

"What of it? It is the Sin I preside over, so what should it matter?"

The lesser one smiled and shook his head, polishing off the bottle. "Alright, I'll fuck around with the soul organization and see if I can sandwich the bastard between the rapists and sadists. How does that sound?"

"Like the best news I've had all day. Now be gone with you. If you come to see me again today, be sure to bring me some more alcohol. I'll need it, since I still have to re-seal that idiotic piece of destruction known as the Beast later."

Snickering at his Superior's nasty 'karma' as the Humans would call it, he went to screw up the cosmic order of judgment. Oh joy, he'd get to deal with a pissy Astaroth for a couple hundred years. Why did they even make hormonal female Demons in the first place?

-----

End chapter 54

This was especially for you, MalenkaMaus, 'cause I know how much you like them and you're not feeling well. Review, peoples, so I don't kill myself out of despair!


	55. Chapter 55

CHAPTER 56

It was three in the afternoon, and Harry couldn't have been more bored. The majority of his margins left in his textbook had been filled in with doodle and notes on how the spells could be improved. Their new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher was a gnarled old man who was half-blind and seemed incapable of walking in a straight line. Not to mention that his hands shook, meaning that his wand rarely pointed in the intended direction. Thankfully, Harry had escaped getting singed.

"And that, my young friends, is all for today. Do write the report and turn it in on time if you want a decent grade." His very voice was irritating, and Harry moved rapidly between the other students, his lengthened legs and thinner frame allowing him to fit between the crowds of eager faces.

Blaise, who'd been sitting at the back, met him at the door and they waited for the rest of their friends to come wading over. From there they went to their dorms and dropped off their books before heading outside to meet up with Luna, whom Harry was introducing to them.

After much shuffling about and a brief bit of hormones on Millicent's part when Gregory stole her scarf as a joke, they managed to make their way to the tree Luna was supposed to be waiting for them at. Coming within view of it, Harry noticed that she had also brought friends. Beside her stood a nervous-looking Hufflepuff named Cedric Diggory and the Weasley girl, who glared ferociously at Draco. He returned the favor before returning his attention to the Hufflepuff. If Harry recalled correctly, Diggory was on the Hufflepuff Quidditch team and did quite a good job too.

Hissing at his friends to play nice, he smiled brightly and hugged Luna tightly. She gave him an absent wave when he released her, looking her usual self in a polka-dot dress with checker-print stockings and a cardigan almost as big as she was. The ends of it dragged in the dirt, actually. "Who are your friends, Harry?" She asked, twirling her wand in her hair.

"Ah, these are Millicent, Pansy and Daphne." They nodded or smiled when he said their names, and Daphne even wiggled her fingers in an adorable imitation of a wave. Luna smiled vaguely back before turning her attention to the boys. "I know you are Draco, and you are Blaise, but I don't know the other ones."

"This is Theodore, who goes by Ted, and the two tall ones are Greg and Vincent." They nodded and attempted not to stare at her impressive display of finger flexibility as she twirled the wand around her hair until it held her huge mass of waves into a loose bun. She didn't to notice this and gestured absent-mindedly at Cedric, announcing, "This is Cedric. He likes books. This is Ginny. She has more brothers than I thought genetically possible." Ginny cracked up and playfully smacked Luna's arm. She didn't seem to notice, seemingly engrossed in digging through her purse, eventually pulling out a book on Dark Wards and handing it to Harry, who quickly stuffed it into his bag.

"Well, nice to meet all of you. I have to go to detention right now, so I'll see you around." Pausing to hug Harry, Luna floated off. Ginny stood still for a second before sprinting after her, not wanting to be left in the awkward situation.

"Uh…" Cedric didn't quite know what to do with a bunch of Slytherins 3 years younger than him. "So, what do you guys do for fun?" He was obviously trying to be nice despite the numerous taboos they were violating, so Harry took mercy on him.

"I read, mostly. And we discuss ideas, pranks, politics, and sometimes, to keep the girls happy, clothes. What 'bout you?" Harry gave the older boy his most adorable smile, and clasped his hands behind his back.

"I, um, I play Quidditch and hang with my friends. S-speaking of which, I have to go make Quidditch practice. See you guys later!"

"Bye Cedric!" Pansy cooed, waving. He blushed and stumbled a bit in his haste to leave. When he was out of eye-shot, Harry rubbed his chin in thought. It would indeed be beneficial for him to befriend members of the other Houses for future negotiations and arguments. They would see how this one developed first, though.

---

"So if you would be so kind-"

"No. Sorry, but I just don't feel like it right now, Satan."

He released his breath between his teeth, looking more miffed by the moment. For the past week he had cajoled and begged (sometimes on his knees, which had been humiliating) Astaroth to aid him in the forming of a air bubble between the two divisions of Rapists and Sadists so he could enlarge it to the size of the Dark Lord. She was apparently spending considerable time with Belphegar, because she had become amazingly lazy.

"Pleeease?"

"Hmm…no! Seriously, I don't feel very helpful right now. Come back next week or something since I might be up to it by then."

"Fine! I'll be here, and I won't leave until you help."

"Yeah, whatever." She flipped her brown hair over a shoulder and picked up her nail file, inspecting her nails briefly before selecting one to perfect. Starting to feel awkward, Satan stalked out, intent on visiting Ishtar even though it wasn't her department to move the cosmos.

-----

End chapter 56

Okay, the female demons are SUPPOSED to remind you of those really unhelpful secretaries/waitresses/nurses that used to be a normal sight. Thank god there aren't as many anymore, but that is how I imagined these 'fiendish females'


	56. Chapter 56

CHAPTER 56

"Yeah, they were here all right, but they must have evacuated the area some time ago." One of the aurors was summarizing his finds to Healer Wimberley as he packed up his spell kit.

"Alright, well, do we have any leads?"

"We're working on it, sir." Nodding to the officer, John headed down the stairs of the apartment complex and through the streets until he reached the pub where he'd last seen Maggie and Rael.

-

"So, Rael, huh? That's an interesting name you've got. Care to explain how your parents came about choosing that one?" Maggie had been gradually noticing that various little things were…off about Rael, and she fully intended to find out who he was and who he was working for.

"I'm named after the Angel of Protection from Death. It is a family tradition to name our children after various deities and aids to deities. For example, my brother's name is Tarmiel, another of the Angels of Protection according to the ancient religion that used to be inseparable from the craft we both practice."

"Oh, so your parents are into Alchemy and the return to traditional methods of practicing it?"

"You could say that."

_Dammit. _He certainly wasn't going to volunteer any information, and she couldn't tell if he was lying because he had the strongest Occlumency shields she'd ever encountered. "Well, what made you decide to join our little troupe?" She plastered on a fake smile, and his eyes briefly twinkled. She blinked, not quite knowing what that had meant.

"To be with John, of course. I think you know why I couldn't bear to be separated from him." He sipped his water, looking out the window. It was a universal sign that the conversation was over, but Maggie was never one to do the expected.

"As chief officer in this operation, I can expel you from the group any time it suits me, so start talking." She growled, putting on her 'menacing' look that she usually reserved for insubordinate soldiers when she had served a brief stint as a general. He turned his attention from the window to her face and gave a slow smile. It made nervous shivers go down her spine and the hair raise on the back of her neck. Suddenly she wasn't so sure where she stood with this man.

"I will do what I please, ma'am, and I'm afraid you hold no authority over my actions. If I choose to remain by the side of the Healer, you can not dismiss me. If I choose to surrender your men to the nearest danger, you will stand by and watch. And if you make me angry, I will not hesitate to tear you limb from limb even if they will simply grow back together again." She gasped. He knew?!

He was smirking now, leaning forwards just enough to make shadows fall across his eyes. "What, you thought I didn't know your little secret? Oh, trust me, I know quite well and I can your little regime any time it suits me. You are, after all, at my mercy. Or did you think that Uriel would simply consent to giving up his victims? Of course there are beings holding Death at bay, and should we decide you aren't worth it, we can let him devour your fragile little soul. Am I clear?"

She shakily nodded, now knowing just what had made her very core writhe in terror. Dear God protect her from the horror of Death for just a little longer! She could brave anything on earth, and even descend into Hell on occasion, but she didn't know what her Final Judgment would be and wasn't sure she would ever be prepared to find out.

While she internally panicked, John had slid in to the booth next to Rael and innocently asked, "What's wrong with Maggie?"

"I don't know, but she just started spacing on me. You want to go get some coffee?"

"Yeah, okay. Bye, Maggie. Take care of yourself." He patted her arm as they passed by her to get outside.

'_Oh, I will do anything it takes.' _

------

He had been peacefully reading an illegal potions book when two identical annoyances appeared on either side of him. Snapping the book closed, he turned to the twin on his right. "Did you need something?" He asked, trying and failing not to sound coy. After all, if you had just sabotaged multiple elaborate pranks and the prankster themselves turns up, you would sound a little smug too.

"Potter, don't give us that innocent look. We know it was you who removed the fireworks from the staff room, the water balloons from the girl's loo, and prevented the slicing charm from severing our dear Percy's curls."

"And we'd like an explanation." The twin on the left finished, gripping Harry's arm. The other did the same and Harry found himself quite immobilized with a rather heavy slip-covered book clutched in his right hand. His palm was starting to sweat, and the book slipped a few centimeters in his grip.

"Well, your brother's hair is quite nice and I couldn't stand the thought of it being shorn prematurely and unwillingly."

This got him some raised eyebrows and a loosened grip. He tightened his own on the book and managed to raise his arm enough to slip it in his book bag. "He is rather handsome, but of course you already know that since you live with him." He sighed dramatically. "Do you think there is some way I could strike up conversation with him and make him like me? I _do _admire his incredible work ethic and-" The twins had abruptly released him and asked simultaneously, "You are crushing on _Percy?!_"

He pretended to be shocked while inwardly cackling hysterically. "No, of course not! I just admire him very, very much. You must be so proud, being related to such a great scholar." With some effort, he managed to plaster on a false blush. They were officially horrified and made hasty excuses before skidding down the hall at a rapid pace to get away from him. Only when he was sure they were out of earshot did he allow himself to laugh.

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End chapter 56

Hey, I made it a teeny bit longer than usual! Be grateful, you vagrants!

coughs

Sorry, pirate moment. Hope you all like this! Review and let me know I'm not talking to myself here. That would be really, really bad.


	57. Chapter 57

CHAPTER 57

Stepping outside the pub, Rael led them towards the small bakery that also sold coffee, John chattering about how they would be going back to England to follow up the lead they'd discovered on not only Potter and his Healer, but the supposedly deceased Black brothers as well. He quickly changed topics when his paramour pulled them into a deserted alley, though. "Rael what are you doing? I thought we were getting coff…ee" He trailed off when Rael burrowed his face in the crook of his neck and inhaled deeply.

"Rael?" He asked hesitantly when the other man didn't move for several minutes. Maybe he had fallen asleep? Shifting a little awkwardly, he noticed that Rael's limbs felt a little stiff. Pulling back, he examined Rael and saw that he appeared to be frozen solid. Even his eyes were frosted over, eyelashes dusted with tiny snowflakes.

_What the Hell?_

---

The hallway was deserted, most of the students occupied watching the Ravenclaw vs. Gryffindor Quidditch game. Harry was peacefully minding his own business, thinking about Asmodeus when he heard a delightful hissing voice saying _"Kill the traitors…filthy empty bodies…breaking bones and shattered heads is what we'll have…yesss..."_

"Hello?" Harry asked, turning his head every which way, wondering where the voice was coming from. But there was no one there, the voice disappearing as quickly as it had come.

"Well, that was odd." He muttered, tracing his fingers along the stones of the Castle, enjoying the tiny vibrations she sent down his fingers, stained and sore from hours of clutching a quill. Quite suddenly his mind was filled with images of something long and scaly slithering through a maze of tunnels, an angry hissing noise proceeding from its throat. When the images stopped, he inhaled and exhaled deeply, trying to restore his breathing pattern. The influx of information had been unexpected and had thrown his body a loop, so to speak. "Thank you, girl." He whispered, stroking the wall. The vibrations increased and several small stones of the floor raised themselves, forming a 'breadcrumb' path that led down a thin hallway that obviously hadn't been used in a while as it was particularly dusty. When the light coming in through the windows faded, he lit his wand and moved faster, trying to see where the Castle was leading him. Finally, he emerged into a major hall on the opposite side of the Castle. Arriving there would normally take far longer than it had using the narrower tunnel he'd been shown, so he mentally bookmarked it. The stones continued to raise themselves until he was standing in front of an out of order girl's loo. Glancing around quickly, he slipped inside. 

"You're a boy. Boys aren't allowed in here!" A high-pitched voice accused, a ghostly girl rising above a toilet stall glaring at him.

"Oh, I'll be a moment. You see, I have permission from the Castle to be here. I'm Harry, by the way. Is this yours?" He gestured grandly at the dripping bathroom he was currently standing in. _Why is everything soaked? _He wondered internally, eyes rapidly searching for any sources of the flood that had apparently attacked the room recently.

"I'm Myrtle." She cooed, sounding friendlier now that she'd looked him over. "You are just a darling little thing, aren't you?" She said, floating over to his side and lightly stroking his curls with the tips of her fingers. He could see that she was taking special care not to freeze him and smiled at her graciousness. Most of the other ghosts didn't have the same decency, and would randomly pass through students as they pleased, never mind that several younger students had gotten a serious case of the chills that had required them to spend several weeks in the Infirmary.

He was still a bit chilly, though.

Unfortunately, the stones had disappeared. He did know that wherever the wonderful snake was hiding had to be around here, though.

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End chapter 57

Yeah, I know it is pitifully late. I had to work and do stuff today so I had no time to write. Ariaeris, I hope you are happy with the brief taste of canon you requested as it will have to hold you over for a while ;)

I love all of you guys whether you review or not but reviews are always lovely little presents to find in my mailbox 


	58. Chapter 58

CHAPTER 58

Tom grinned, finally seeing some distant lights that looked vaguely like civilization. He'd been in these mists for so long he had begun to question whether or not he really had escaped the Underworld. Carefully walking around the last of the acid pools, he made his way down the steep slope to the source of the light. It was a trashy Muggle petrol station but it would have food that he could steal, so that was good enough for him at the moment.

Stepping onto the asphalt parking lot, he strode confidently towards the building, boots making soft thumping noises as they collided with the pavement. Bells jangled when he pushed the door open, catching the attention of a bored-looking teenaged girl behind the counter. Her hair was obviously dyed black, and her eyes were rimmed with more eyeliner than was necessary. She eyed him with minimal interest before looking back down at the magazine she was reading.

Selecting something brightly colored and clearly unwholesome, he made his way to the counter. She took the bag of crisps and ran it along a strange machine before announcing the price. He reached into his pocket and removed a leaf that he had transfigured into a five pound bill and handed it over. She opened the register and handed him his change, still looking half-dead.

He tried very hard not to snicker as he made his way down the road, eating the crisps. She'd soon find unexpected greenery growing in her contraption when the transfiguration charm wore off.

------

Having finally gained the information he needed, James Potter had made his way to the apartment building listed as one Dr. Bronislav Polski's last location of residence. It was 5 o'clock, so if his Harry had been sent to a Muggle school he would certainly be home by now. He had taken the elevator and now stood in front of the door to the apartment, suddenly feeling uncertain. This would be the first time he would have seen his son in nearly twelve years. What if he didn't like him, thought he was odd? Before he could work himself up any further, the door swung open, revealing what appeared to be a Muggle college student, complete in sweat pants, trainers, and a school sweater.

"Who the Hell are you?" The guy asked, obnoxiously munching on a Hot Pocket (I'm sorry guys, but I just saw Austen Powers and now the idea is stuck in mah brain).

"Um, does Dr. Polski live here?"

"Oh." The youth looked a bit more apologetic. "No, he was the previous tenant. I've been here for almost a year, so it's been a while since he moved. I heard he went to the country for health reasons or some shit like that. It sounded pretty shady to me, though. Not to mention that weird kid that lived with him…" The young man was obviously no longer paying attention, as his eyes appeared to be fixed on a far point and he was mumbling to himself.

"Well, uh, thanks for the help." James said awkwardly, heading back down the hall to the lift. This had been a royal waste of time and patience.

-------

"I'll have two of those, please." Luna's voice was soft, but her eyes held a hardness that convinced the clerk that withholding the requested bottles of bourbon from the obvious minor would be a very, very bad idea.

"Uh, yeah. These two alright?" He held up two of the smaller bottles for inspection and she shook her head, indicating the largest he had and repeating, "I said two of _those, _sir. And could you please hurry it up? I have somewhere I need to be."

He swallowed and took down the bottle that looked far too heavy for such a little girl to carry. Setting them on the counter, he accepted her money and tried very hard not to think of what the strange girl would be doing with that much alcohol. "Have a nice day!" She called out cheerfully, strolling out the door with the bottles safely shrunken and in her oversize purse. The students had been allowed into Hogsmeade by the Headmaster, and under teacher supervision so they could shop for Christmas presents. Luna had promised to meet Cedric at the candy shop at 3 and would not be happy if that philistine of a clerk had made her late. The boy tended to get nervous when left on his own for too long, and as much as she found it adorable she couldn't just do that to him for her own selfish reasons.

Sure enough he was leaning against the building, fidgeting with his school scarf and refusing to meet the curious gazes of the milling students. Shoving a few inattentive oafs out of the way and 'accidentally' crushing the feet of several older Ravenclaws that regularly made her life a living hell, she made her way to his side. He looked comically grateful to see her, so she handed him a bar of chocolate from her pocket in apology. "Sorry, I got held up by some overpaid clerk while shopping."

"It's alright." He murmured, blushing as he bit into the chocolate. Smirking, she took a sip out of the miniature flask of gin that she kept strapped to her thigh.

-------

End chapter 58

Sorry guys! No Harry in this one, but you got Alcoholic!Luna instead. Review please!


	59. Chapter 59

Disclaimer: Oh shit! I don't think I wrote one of these for this story. Ok, basically, I own nothing along the lines of royalties regarding HP. I don't even own copies of the books and have flipped through them a couple times and watched one of the first movies. That is the extent of my HP knowledge. The only canon I am equipped to follow is the Demonic information displayed here. All of it is factual besides God's role. I changed that for the sake of keeping them in positions where I can utilize their 'gifts'. Anyways, don't sue me because that would break my miser heart which would depress me enough to commit suicide which would then mean no more updates.

CHAPTER 59

"They say that he was seen at the trial, even though he was actually in a cell in Azkaban! Testing the 'double' showed that it was the same man, only in two different places at the same time with no usage of a timeturner. Guys, if we can figure out how to do this, who knows what kind of stuff we could accomplish?" Vincent's rousing speech received blank looks from everyone but Harry, who hadn't been paying attention.

"Um, I thought the Ministry proved that it is impossible to 'clone' yourself a couple centuries ago?" Millicent placed her bloodpop back into her mouth after asking this, propping her face on her hand.

"Proved what?" Harry asked, ears having zeroed in on the words 'Ministry' and 'prove'. Last he checked, those words did not go together in a sentence with the word 'honest'.

"That being in two places at the same time of your own volition and with no outside magical assistance is impossible." Millicent answered, biting down on the ruby-colored candy. He nodded and said, "Actually, I think bilocation is possible through meditation or something. I'm pretty sure that some Muggle religious figures have done it a couple of times in the early centuries when magic was still floating around in the atmosphere waiting to be used."

"Magic can float?" This brilliant remark came from Ted, who was slouched so far in his chair that you could only see the top of his head over the table.

"Um, kind of. I'm sure there is an official word for it, but it means the same thing so we'll just say that it floats to save ourselves the effort of getting out of our chairs to find the books that might tell us." Blaise broke it, looking much attached to the only cushioned chair in the library that he had managed to trick an older student out of.

"A lot of things are possible through meditation, so I think we should pick it up. You know, for future reference." Harry took a sip of his flask of rice wine, courtesy of Luna.

"But then we would have to get out of our nice warm chairs and wander freezing shelves trying to find it." Blaise was whining now, and slouching to rival Ted. A simultaneous glare from Harry and Vincent made him shut his mouth with an audible click.

"I say we track down some books on how to meditate, and over Christmas break we can do personal research into bilocation, m'kay?" Harry's eyes flashed beneath his fringe and they knew not to argue. Earlier that morning, once everyone had finished their Saturday lie-ins and stumbled downstairs to the Common Room, they had discussed forming a personal study group where they would intensively study a topic or magical field until they were competent for 3 weeks and then spend the 4th week reviewing previous skills so they didn't lose them over time. So here they were, on a freezing December morning, in the library discussing where to start. Ted had pitched research on the Philosopher's Stone, but had lost to Vincent's bilocation.

"Alright, guys! _I _am going to go find some books. If you guys don't want to embarrass yourselves at the end of the month, I suggest you do the same." Harry winked before standing and wandering off to the sections that related to the mind.

His housemates stared at each other before dashing after him, chairs clattering on the floor as their occupants rapidly vacated them. Madam Pince came rushing over, but could find no sign of the previous occupants and dismissed it as Peeves up to his usual irritating pranks.

Or maybe the Weasley twins.

---

"Oh shit! Christmas holidays are this month!"

"So?" Vladimir asked his brother, taking another drag of his cigarette.

"Harry will need to be taken care of, you philistine!" Bronislav had officially worked himself up now, pacing about the cave that currently served as their home. The lovely mansion that had previously housed them had been burned by ex-Death Eaters shouting that the Dark Lord had returned. Thankfully, the taxes had been raised and the brothers had already packed their belongings and left. Vladimir didn't want to even think about what the Lady Ingrid Black would have done to them if they had in any way damaged her precious Dark Arts books. Why she had entrusted _them _to protect them was beyond him, since most of the members of the organization AFANASEI were aware of just how unstable their way of life was.

Vampires weren't exactly well-liked by humans.

But back to the present. A present where his older brother was glaring daggers at him for being so thoughtless. "Oh, right. Harry. Well, couldn't we just leave him at the school over the holidays?"

"Ah, but I did that last year and I don't think he appreciated it very much."

"Would he appreciate this damp cave more than a nice warm Castle?"

"Vlad, we both know how cold Castles are, and the temperature of the building has got nothing to do with it. Children need stability in their lives, stability that can only be gained from an emotional state of tranquility."

"Yeah, 'cause getting bombed by the Koreans is real tranquil. Why, I don't even hear the rumbles as they try to rat us out with their metal contraptions. Contraptions that get closer every day, may I remind you."

Bronislav opened his mouth to protest but closed it when a tremor from the machines above shook their temporary haven. His brother stubbed out his cigarette and approached him, placing his hands on his older brother's shoulders. "Can you honestly say that you want to bring Harry into our shit hole of an existence?"

He swallowed and looked away briefly before returning his brother's gaze. "No." He whispered, looking more dejected that Vladimir could bear to see.

"Broni, you know I love that kid as much as you do, and that is why we should keep him safe and dry in a place where he has friends and books to amuse him with. Books that don't detail how to dissect a centaur and use it's innards for Potion supplies."

Against his will, Broni let out a dry chuckle. His brother was right; Harry would just have to brave the holidays alone again this year.

"Alright, we can send him a missive when we get to Hell and make it look like normal parchment so he doesn't get suspicious. I almost wish he wasn't such a bright kid, you know?"

"Oh, I agree absolutely. You should have seen the look on his tutor's face…"

---------

The pavement was cracked and covered in scorch marks, which was not reassuring to James in the least. After a bit of snooping, he had learned that Doctor Bronislav had retired to an older house on the outskirts of a town deep in the country. He had arrived to find the town long-since abandoned, and a thin path leading towards where the house supposedly stood.

It now resembled a matchbox that had been smashed by a sledgehammer a hundred times it's size and then burned. The grass stopped growing about 5 yards from the wreck, and there was no sign of life in the once-pretty woods surrounding the property. It seemed that not even the dumb animals of the Muggles would go near the site. He dropped to his knees, Maalik quickly joining him out of concern. There was no way that anyone inside could have possibly survived such an attack.

His son was dead. A tear dripped down his nose and onto the deadened soil, soil that crunched and bit into his palms like fragments of glass. He began to shake, trying to contain his emotional breakdown, but he failed and let out an almost primal scream of fury and anger and most of all anguish. Those who had done this would pay dearly indeed, his anger assured him, curling almost comfortingly around his heart, its heat disguising the thin claws as they punctured the organ and made it beat to a different tune.

His mind filled with images of what he could do to the nameless, faceless attackers and he grinned. The bloodthirsty barrage abruptly ceased when Maalik wrapped his thin arms around his neck and pulled him close, murmuring about how there was still a chance, a chance that Harry hadn't been home at the time.

Eventually the soothing words managed to pry the anger from his heart, and he became limp in his arms, face burrowing into the folds of his coat and multiple sweaters.

-------

Rael was now laying flat on John's bed, while he fretted and tried to find some sign that he was still alive. He wasn't breathing and there wasn't any pulse, and John was just beginning to hyperventilate when Rael's fingers twitched from where they rested next to John's hand and briefly stroked his fingers.

He blushed and took the hand in his own despite the chills the ice was giving him.

------

End chapter 59

Hey, 4 pages you guys! Which is…I'm ashamed to say this…longer than usual. I really need to make these babies longer.

Review and give me input!


	60. Chapter 60

Warning: This was written while listening to loud techno music.

CHAPTER 60 (ZOMG! It is getting so grown up!)

Harry stood in the girl's loo, up to his knees in freezing water. His feet felt like they were floating because of the amount of water in his shoes, and he tried not to giggle like a girl. Having failed spectacularly at that, he waded his way to the middle and called for Myrtle, voice echoing strangely across the water and against the walls. He could hear her zipping through the pipes before she popped her head out of a toilet stall and called, "Yes, Harry?"

"Hi, um, this is going to be a weird question, but have you seen any snakes around here? Ever?"

"I don't usually see any animals besides the occasional prowling cat. Well, actually, quite awhile ago I saw a scaly tail disappear into one of my pipes, but since it seemed to be in a bad mood I left it alone. That was a long time ago, though."

"Where do the pipes lead?"

"All over the school." She sidled closer, driving chills into the rest of him not submerged in the icy water. "I could show you if you like."

"What, the pipes?" She nodded, delicately touching his arm. "I'd love to! Should I wear a bathing suit, though?" He smiled brightly at her, suddenly cheerful.

"Oh, no, you'll be fine. The water you're standing in is what would usually be in them anyways. I didn't feel like swimming today and still wanted to explore them so I put the water here for now."

"Well, you spend more time in the pipes than anyone else which gives you every right to do as please with them."

"Why, thank you Harry. It's this way." She floated over to the stall she'd come out of and gestured to a gaping hole in the floor. He blinked. It wasn't quite what he had been expecting, but if it meant he'd get to visit a beastie he was willing to brave it. Casting the bubble-head charm in case the air smelled nasty, he climbed in and began crawling while Myrtle guided him to where she'd last seen the snake.

--------

"Okay, he's been gone since breakfast. Are you guys absolutely sure that none of you have seen him around?" Daphne's hands were on her hips as she addressed the entire Slytherin house. There had been another petrification attack and all the students had been locked in their various dormitories until the situation could be handled by the staff and Ministry back up that had been brought in. An entire group of Ravenclaws had been petrified and all of them were Muggleborn, a fact that had sent the other house's muggleborns into a blind panic. Since Slytherin had no Muggleborns, they weren't worried about being attacked by whatever was causing the accidents. The only thing on their minds at the moment was that one of their own was missing and had not been seen all day. Harry _was _a quarter Muggle, something that none of them had cared about before.

"Greengrass, for the last time, none of us have seen him anywhere or anytime at all today." Marcus Flint broke in before the blond could start ranting at them again. "Look, we're all worried about it, so why don't we form a search party? The teachers don't need to know about this, and we all know how to maneuver around the Castle via unknown passageways so nobody but us ever _will _know."

"Yes, Marcus, I had thought of that but what if we get attacked? Then what? Do you want to get expelled for endangering your housemates?" Draco cut in, tone biting. Everyone winced. Getting expelled was the ultimate humiliation that could occur inside the school's walls, and even a house as non-conformist as theirs was aware of this.

"Then what do you suggest doing, Nancy boy?" Flint sneered, recovering.

"I say we perform a tracking charm, determine the state of his health, and then decide on a more immediate course of action."

"Why didn't we think of that earlier?" Blaise bemoaned, smacking his forehead. There were nervous snickers all around before someone was elected to perform the charm.

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End chapter 60

I know it is too short, but the update is already thanks to work and now I have to go work some more rolls eyes and I won't be done for a while. Keep in mind that there will be another update tomorrow if you guys review.

Special thanks to MalenkaMaus for her startling and most welcome spiel of reviews, You rock my socks, girl!!


	61. Chapter 61

CHAPTER 61

"The charm says that he is…happy? Like, really happy. And the only physical issue is that he has an eyelash in his eye and a slight cramp in his lower right calf. He's fine, basically." Vincent rattled off the information, and then choked when he was about to read the location. "What the hell is he doing in the sewer?!"

"I guess that is something we'll have to ask him when he gets off his bony arse and comes back here." Pansy snapped, her incessant picking at her nails belying her worry.

"Yeah. Supposedly the Weasley girl is missing too and she's the real reason the teachers are searching so hard-"

"It can't be that hard if they still haven't found Harry." Ted interrupted Gregory. They grinned at each other in memory of the disastrous game of hide-and-seek that they had been man-handled into playing with Luna and how it had taken them 6 hours to find Harry. He had been in plain sight, too.

---------

After a grueling 3 hours crawling through damp pipes, he had come across a great incline that seemed to lead straight down. Bracing himself and casting numerous spells to break his fall, he slid down it. Despite the slime, it was strangely fun and he found himself laughing along with Myrtle, who was floating behind him.

Landing quite suddenly on something squishy, he leaped to his feet and 'helped' Myrtle stand up, never mind that she was simply floating a few centimeters above the ground. "Thank you." She had purred, leading the way through a series of actual tunnels instead of pipes and towards a gate of some kind with craved snakes covering it head to toe. Their eyes gleamed and seemed to follow him as he surveyed it from every angle, looking for a doorknob or a place to rest his hand that was not within biting distance of the snakes. Seeing none, he attempted to address the carved snakes. "Would you mind terribly if I went through your gate? I won't take anything or cause any trouble, I swear!"

"You can talk to snakes?" Myrtle asked, looking quite interested.

"Um, apparently not, since they haven't let me pass yet."

"Oh, that was what you were asking?"

"What do you mean? You were standing right here and heard every word." Was it just him or had one of the snakes flicked its tongue and another shift its scales briefly in the gloom created by his _lumos _charm. "No, all I heard was some kind of hissing. Oh, they're moving! I have been down here loads of times and never got to see them move."

But Harry wasn't listening to her anymore, too busy staring at the writhing stone bodies as they withdrew into the walls, revealing an oak door in mint condition and unembellished steel handles. Seeing no danger, he turned and thanked the snakes, paying close attention to the noise coming out of his mouth. Yep, he had been hissing like a snake. Grinning, he pulled the handles to open the doors and stood aside for Myrtle to go first. She blushed something silver and quickly scooted past him. His grin broadened and he followed her into the chamber.

Immediately before them was an enormous mass of shed snake skin, so he determined that the snake must use this room as its nest. Besides the multiple skeletons and bits of flesh, the floor was quite clean, if a little wet for his tastes. Walking down the center of the hall, he looked about to see if one of the skins was actually the snake sleeping. However, he came across something that certainly shouldn't be down there. The Weasley girl, lying flat on her back in a puddle with her hair spread out in a bright red halo. To her chest she clutched a black notebook or journal of some kind. Her skin was paler than usual, making her freckles stand out like flecks of blood on snow. Speaking of blood, there was some seeping out of her robes and into the puddle from a thick slice in her thigh it would seem.

Even though he didn't particularly like her, she _was _a fellow student in need so he reached down and shook her shoulder, telling her to wake up. She didn't even shift away from him, and her skin was cold as ice. Getting worried, he felt for a pulse and finally found it. She was barely alive, and it couldn't be from her leg wound since there wasn't that much blood. Maybe she had poisoned herself in a suicide attempt or something equally dramatic? Deciding that, no matter how rude, the answer just might be in her diary. He plucked it from her arms and immediately knew that something was off. The book was warm, as if it was alive. Opening it revealed blank pages from front to back, something that was unusual for a girl's diary.

"It's rude to read other people's things, little boy."

Harry jumped about 3 feet into the air and snapped his head around to examine the latest development. "There happens to be nothing to read, sir." He said, turning on the 'innocent little kid' act that had gotten him out so much trouble over the years. The young man who'd addressed him was dressed in the Slytherin uniform, something that Harry had foregone today in place of jeans and a sweatshirt. "I'm Harry, by the way."

"Tom."

"So, I haven't seen you around. Are you a new student?"

"You could say that."

"Well, are you going to help me with the girl?"

"Pfft, why should I when it took me so long to get her in her current state?" He finished off with a sneer. The pieces of Harry's suspicions suddenly clicked together and he realized what he was seeing. He cleverly hid his revulsion and continued chattering childishly to avoid looking uneasy.

"Well, do you know where the snake is? What I came here for isn't it, Myrtle?"

She didn't answer, eyes fixed on the face of the other boy. "Tom Riddle?" She whispered, half reaching out to him. He paled and tried to turn his face away from her but it was too late. She had recognized him, and now she was frantically whispering something in the kid's ear. Hopefully he would take a while to digest it, since he looked like a Hufflepuff anyway. The kid nodded and said, once she'd finished, "I'd already figured most of that out, but it is a bit more complicated than I had thought."

Tom blinked. The kid knew what was going on? And now he was addressing him. "Tom, could you please explain your motives? If I agree, you can live. If I disagree, I'm afraid that I'll have to dispose of this." He waved the diary and Tom made a lunge for it. However, the kid apparently had very fast reflexes and dodged the attack, causing Tom to stumble into the wall. Since he now had a headache, he could deduce that he had solidified considerably since the start of the conversation. Smirking, he mentally formulated a plan to keep the kid distracted until he managed to siphon the life out of Ginerva (ok, I put her full name in here because I get so pissed off when a 'Ginny fan' types it as 'Virginia'. IT IS GINERVA, YOU PHILISTINES! And I don't even like her…).

His plotting was interrupted by a sharp spike of pain in his heart. Eyes snapping to the book, he saw that the brat had removed a knife of some kind from his pocket and was carving off parts of the leather cover. It hurt so badly! Wheezing, he sank to his knees while clutching his chest. There was no way a knife that small, even if it was silver, could possibly be doing this much damage to his Horcruxe. From his new vantage point, he could see that the carvings were not random lines, but a Magick Circle of some kind, which meant that what he had thought to be a simple switchblade was in actuality an Athame. How the Hell had this brat gotten his paws on a weapon that powerful? He didn't have time to figure it out because at that moment the knife ceased in it's carving, the Circle complete. His bones crushed in of themselves, flesh melting off of them and blood turning to sulphur. It was far more excruciating than anything he had ever encountered in his life before and he found his throat releasing a primal scream that reverberated off the walls and statue of Salazar's father that decorated the chamber.

Ink spilled liberally out of the diary, every drop leaving refreshing the life source that had flared back up in Ginny's soul. Harry smiled and banished the blackened remainder of the diary before kneeling beside the waking redhead to do damage control. Before he could say a word though, he heard a rustling noise right behind him. "Myrtle?" he called, praying to God that it was just the ghost playing a prank. Something wet flicked the back of his neck and he blinked. "Hello?" He called, focusing on making it a hiss instead of the usual English word. Shockingly, it hissed back. "Hello, human. What happened to the third one? It promised me food, it did."

"Oh, Tom? He's dead now, and he wouldn't have been able to give you food anyways since he was just a spirit."

"He lied to me?"

"Pretty much. Sorry." It made a noise remarkably similar to a sigh and replied, "It is alright. I knew something wasn't quite right about that one, what with his constant allusions to his heritage. He thought I was somehow bound to him, foolish little thing. The only thing that binds me is this Castle, and I have no desire to leave in the first place. Besides, the only favor the other boy did me was to open the pipes that lead here, allowing me to stretch me legs, figuratively speaking." It gave a snaky laugh at it's own joke. Harry couldn't help snickering with it.

"Well." He said, recovering his composure, "If you need a source of food, and require a Wizard to open the pipes, I read in 'Hogwarts: A History" that there is an extinct drainage system that used to empty into the middle of the Forbidden Forest. If I opened the pipes for you, once we find them that is, would you stop wandering the halls? I think something about you is what was petrifying the students."

"I hurt the students? I had not intended to do that."

"It's okay. The antidote is almost done brewing anyways. But back to the pipes, do you know where they could be hiding?"

"There are blocked openings that I can hear the wind whistling by, and sometimes the noises of animals and other Creatures. I will show them to you once you deal with the bright one here. She is waking and the sight of my eyes will kill her instantly." Harry could hear it slithering away and concealing itself. Maybe it was a Basilisk? He didn't know very much about Magical Reptiles, but he knew for sure that a Basilisk's eyes could kill you in nanoseconds and there was no known cure for its venom.

"Potter?" Ginny croaked, looking decidedly unhappy to see him. He rolled his eyes and helped her up, silently offering some water from his bag. She grudgingly accepted it and drank most of it. He scowled and silently led the way back to the pipes and began crawling upwards. It was a tiring ordeal, and his calf had begun to cramp up, but he felt quite giddy for some reason. Maybe it was just the high you get from making a new friend (and he didn't mean Ginny  ).

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End chapter 61

Finally! Okay, my mom's secretary moved away so now she has no one to do the menial labor. Since my desk is within eye-shot, my previous blissful existence as a useless lay-a-bout has now been replaced with 'crazed secretary'. Hence the late update. It IS longer than usual, though.


	62. Chapter 62

CHAPTER 62

Having half-carried a shaken Ginny to the Infirmary, he _obliviated_ her of the proceedings and left before the nurse could emerge from her office.

Nasty reputation secured and safe, he slinked through some shady-looking passages on his way to the dorm, mentally re-counting the events of the day and hoping nobody had noticed that he was missing. Just as he was going to recite the password, the stones slid aside, revealing a pissed off Pansy flanked by Daphne and Millicent, all of them with their hands threateningly on their hips. "Um…hi?" He weakly raised a hand and waved. Their glares intensified and he found himself dragged into the Common room by his ear and pushed in a chair. From his new vantage point, he could see that the entire House was assembled, something that had not happened in over a hundred years.

He was about to ask what was going on when Pansy screeched, "Do you have any idea how worried we were about you?! While everyone is in lock-down, you somehow manage to not be there for the announcements, and disappear for _hours!" _She inhaled deeply, and Harry braced himself for the final scream. "WE THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD, YOU LITTLE BASTARD!!"

"But I'm sure you can see that I am alive and well. I dealt with the problem, so now we don't have to think about it anymore. There was a Basilisk wandering the halls by means of the sewer pipes, and it has agreed to cease in exchange for food, which I already have covered, by the way. So, um, nobody needs to upset with me anymore?" He finished tentatively, not knowing how to read the looks on his House mate's faces.

"Guys?" Nobody blinked. _Well, this is weird. _He shifted awkwardly, getting bored. Deciding that while they were all out to lunch he might as well be useful, he dug out a book from his bag and began to study up on his Divination homework.

"A Basilisk, you say?" Davies asked, finally moving to stroke his chin in thought.

"Oh, yeah. I didn't look at it, though. Didn't want to die, you know."

"Was the Weasley girl anywhere near you?" Draco asked, looking as bored as ever. Since his friends had apparently snapped out of their trance, Harry stuffed the too-large book back into his bag and sat up straight in order to look less like the little kid was.

"Yeah, she had apparently gotten her hands on a cursed journal that possessed her, and she was the one behind the roosters and blood on the walls. I dealt with the journal, took her to the infirmary, _obliviated _her, and made my escape with no teachers the wiser."

Some seventh years appraised him. "Impressive, Potter."

"Thanks!" He flashed the peace sign and grinned. "Now, if you don't mind, my leg is killing me and I want to go rub some cream on it. See you all at dinner, or breakfast, depending on when they let us go."

He limped up to his dormitory, undisturbed, and began to examine the damage to his limbs that comes from unexpected and unusual exercise.

-------

Lucifer smiled, examining the 'bubble' Satan had finally succeeding in wedging between the levels. "I must commend you, Enki, for doing such a spectacular job. Now all we have to do is wait for some idiot to kill him off, and we've got him."

"I thought we were going to ask Uriel to finish him off again?"

"Well, that will take longer and by the time we convince him that it is worth his time, since I doubt he'll do it on a whim again like last time, the Dark Thing will already be dead from old age."

"True, that."

------

"Well, sir, I don't really remember what was going on. All I know is that the journal my dad gave me as a going-away present was alive somehow, and then it started taking over my body, and I was in a dark, wet place and there were hissing noises like from thousands of snakes. But then there was a bunch of light, and he disappeared from my head. The next thing I remember is being here with Madam Pomfrey asking me if I was alright."

The assembled staff blinked and exchanged glances. Apparently miss Weasley had been behind the strange occurrences, but they still didn't know what had caused the petrifactions. "You're sure that you had nothing to do with the attacks upon the students?"

"Yes, sir. All I know is that the diary was possessed and it took over me."

Albus didn't like not knowing what was going on in his own Castle, and he especially didn't like said Castle refusing to speak to him. All he had gotten from her was a disjointed mental image of spliced-together pictures of pages on open books. The defined words had spelt out 'PROBLEM GONE NOW. LEAVE ALONE'. While that was helpful, he still wanted more details for when the Minister of Magic descended on him like a boulder.

"If that is all, Miss Weasley, than I suggest you get some rest. You are not in trouble and nobody is blaming you for the events that took place here. You were victimized by a Dark Artifact, and were too young to know what to do."

Ginny nodded fervently and swigged the sleeping potion thoughtfully provided by the nurse, falling asleep shortly afterwards.

"What are we going to do about this, Albus?" Minerva hissed as they made their way to his office.

"I have told you a thousand times, Minerva, I will deal with it! It is no concern of yours how I choose to remedy situations in the Castle that I was entrusted with. I am the Headmaster, am I not?"

"You may be Headmaster, Albus, but you are a poor one. Good night." She swept away, taffeta skirts swishing and somehow managing to sound as if they were as irritated with him and their owner.

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End chapter 62

Ha! This one is actually up by my self-imposed deadline! Review and tell me what you liked/disliked please.


	63. Chapter 63

CHAPTER 63

Gesturing grandly to the opened pipes, through which you could see some feeble greenery, but mostly just a barren glen surrounded by ominous trees. Not that Harry could see this, as his eyes were clamped tightly closed. He may have had his suicidal moments over the years, but none of them were recent and he had no idea where he would end up if he did die, and had no desire to find out.

"There you have it! Food, fresh air, chirping birdies, you know, all that rot." The snake flicked its tongue against his cheek and hissed, "Many thanks, Harry. I shall meet with you again at the time known to you as Christmas, when the many students have left for their own nests."

"I look forward to it, Hedwig." The snake flicked him one last time affectionately before slithering out of the pipe to freedom. Upon learning that she had no name, he had chosen that of his favorite saint from Muggle School. Sure, Hedwig was a bit odd-sounding, but he thought it suited her fine.

When he was sure that it would not involve certain death, he cracked an eye open and then fully. Now all he had to do was make a grueling journey back to the castle after warding the pipe against all living creatures besides the Basilisk. It wouldn't do to have Vampires deciding to take up camp in the school's sewers at all.

-----

He made it back just in time to meet his friends in the library. Flinging himself into the nearest chair, he brushed some unnamable gunk off his sleeve before acknowledging Draco and Blaise with a smile. They were the only ones beside Pansy still awake, as the girl had decided to ramble on about how much she wanted to tell them what she bought them for Christmas but couldn't because it would ruin the surprise. Millicent was crushing Ted by leaning on him, but he was too deeply asleep to notice. Her weight pushed him onto the barely awake Blaise, and him onto Daphne who was curled up against the oblivious Pansy. Gregory and Vincent had their faces pillowed on their arms and were soundly unconscious.

Getting bored, Harry started to pick at his nails before dragging a book out from Blaise's fingers. He didn't notice, too busy following the patterns of the dust motes in the air. Just as he cracked the book open to the Table of Contents, something touched his arm. He jumped and saw it to be a tiny yellow asp coiled around his forearm. None of his friends had noticed, so he quietly stood up and said he had to go to the loo. Draco nodded, while Pansy seemed to have talked herself into a trance of some kind from the sound of her own voice.

Rushing to the nearest broom closet, he knocked first to make sure no older students were utilizing it for 'getting-to-know-you' purposes. When there were no shocked gasps from within, he eased the aging door open and stepped inside. Lighting his wand, he addressed the snake in its own language. "What do you need of me? And, if you don't mind, how did you get inside?"

The asp blinked uncomprehendingly at him before seeming to morph into…a human?! He shrank back in shock as the reptile fully transformed into a petite boy with a mop of hair brighter than blood. His skin was whiter than snow and unmarred except for a tattoo of a dragon that started on his cheek and ran down his neck to disappear into the collar of his white shirt. Black eyes flicked around the cabinet as if looking for enemies before landing on Harry.

Harry waved hesitantly. Was it just him or was this being just barely taller than him? And yet, his eyes seemed to glow from within with millennia of hidden knowledge. Perhaps it would be a bad idea to piss this one off. Before he could introduce himself, the being spoke. "I am Michael, of the 3rd Hierarchy of the Angels, the Sword of God. Two days ago I was charged to take valuable time out of my incredibly busy schedule to deliver this to you." He removed a thick packet of letters written on the blackened parchment of Hell and handed it to Harry.

His heart leapt and he asked, "Who asked you to deliver them?"

"Lucifer. He seems to think that just because we are related he can maneuver my schedule without warning as he pleases." The Angel paused to flick a piece of hair that had been hanging in his eyes behind an ear, revealing two piercings and some runes tattooed onto his fingers. "Most of the letters are from Asmodeus, although I have no idea why the philistine couldn't just ask a Grigori to deliver them, and a few are from various Demons and two from your guardians. There is also one from Heaven, supposedly from some deceased friend of yours. I'm not sure, since I wasn't really paying attention. Paperwork isn't my strong point, you see." He smiled abashedly and Harry grinned back.

"Afraid I can't relate on that one. It was very kind of you to take the time, and I enjoyed meeting you." Harry extended his hand to shake and got a hug instead. Apparently the Angels were better with the whole affection thing, he decided, hugging the skinny Angel back.

"Yeah, the same and all that. Hope to see you around someday." Michael grinned, disappearing in a cloud of sulphur and smoke like the Demons, but the stench was tinged with something frightfully similar to Rose perfume, only better. The real kind, not the cheap stuff you could buy for a few dollars. Harry accidentally inhaled deeply, trying to get more of the elusive scent, but got sinuses full of smoke instead. Not that he wasn't used to it, having taken up smoking, but that doesn't mean the sulphur had no effect on his fragile lungs.

When the smoke cleared, he could still smell the perfume. Curiously, he sniffed his robes where they had made contact with Michael and found that the smell had saturated his clothing. Grinning like a fool, he spent at least five minutes trying to memorize the scent before it faded.

Tearing himself away from his newest addiction, he stepped out of the cabinet, letters safely in his bag and headed back to the library.

Since Pansy had shut up, most of them had awakened from their impromptu naps (Millicent was still sleeping) and were reviewing their information on bilocation since they would be split up for the holidays. So far none of them had attempted the actual art, but Gregory was talking about doing it with Blaise.

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End chapter 63

Sorry for the weird ending, but I have to actually leave the house and go to this art show at the Art Institute in Chicago called 'Girls on the Verge' or something. I am so psyched! pumps fist

Review!


	64. Chapter 64

CHAPTER 64

Sitting on her bed, Luna focused intently on braiding her hair into perfect little plaits for the enormous family gathering that Ginny had invited her to. It was in celebration of Christmas, and Ginny had insisted that Luna attend in order to meet her older brothers who had already finished school.

Having completed her task, she packed several books into her purse and floated downstairs. Xenophilias, her father, was just untangling his overly-affectionate scarf from around his neck and knotting it to the coat tree when she reached the bottom. "Hello daddy." She greeted, moving past him to go outside. The Weasleys lived just down the road, after all, so there was no reason to waste floo powder.

"Where are you going, sweet pea?" He asked, running a hand through his mop of blond hair mixed with gray.

"To the Weasleys for a party." She answered, turning to face him while keeping her hands clasped behind her back. It was something that she knew made her look small and innocent, so he wouldn't suspect her of going anywhere _else _after attending the gathering.

"Oh, alright then. Give my respects to Molly, and don't be too late. We both know how cold it can get after dark these days." His attention seemed to wander, and he patted her head absent-mindedly when he walked into his office. He hadn't been the same after her mother's accident, but that was ok. They weren't in the gutter yet, and she was willing to work to prevent such a thing from happening to her already fragile father.

Her feet sank quite a few inches into the snow and she sighed. She had rather liked the shoes she was wearing. Casting a lightening charm normally meant for luggage on herself, after insuring that her anti-Ministry charm was working first, she tried walking again and found herself able to walk on top of the snow. Humming, she made her way to the Burrow while mentally preparing a speech to give to Mrs. Weasley that would make her look like a typical little girl of the day-dreaming variety.

"Luna!" A cheerful voice broke into her musings. Her head snapped up from where she had been examining the patterns of glitter on the snow in time to collide with Ginny's. Her friend had obviously been about to embrace her, but had bad timing.

"Ouchie." Luna muttered, clutching her blond head in her gloved hands.

"Oh! Luna, I'm sorry! I was just going to…and then you…Sorry!" She stumbled over her words, looking more flustered with each passing second. Before she could continue her breathless stuttering, Luna broke in with "I'm fine, Ginny. More startled than anything, you see."

"Al-alright then. Come inside, yeah? It's cold enough to freeze your eyeballs out here." And before Luna could resist, her numb fingers were seized in a warm, but bare, hand and used it to pull her up the icy steps and in inside.

Removing her silk mary-janes, Luna stood shivering in the tiny mudroom while Ginny fussed over finding a place for her coat. "A-ha!" She exclaimed, having found a miniscule hook hiding behind a mass of jackets. "There we go. Now come this way, Luna, since I am pretty sure Charlie is in the kitchen." Once again Luna docilely followed her hyper friend, examining anything of interest along the way. Finally squeezing between the legs of what must be several uncles, they crawled under the table to a certain pair clad in jeans that were shredded around the knees with a pair of scuffed leather boots that covered half of his calves. "Charlie!" Ginny called from underneath, tugging on his boot-buckles. There was a yelp, a choking sound, and then the chair scooted back and a thin face with a light dusting of freckles across the nose and a heavy mop of red hair appeared. "Ginny! What have I told you about randomly grabbing me when I can't see you?" his face was flushed as if he was embarrassed, and Luna concluded that his face must have looked rather funny to his table companions.

"Well, I really wanted you to meet my best friend in all the world, and it takes forever to get through the crowd. I was hoping you wouldn't mind but-" Her eyes welled up with crocodile tears and her brother melted.

"Of course I don't mind!" he consoled, scooping her up from under the table and placing her on his lap. "Now, where is this friend of yours?"

"Right under the table." Ginny pointed, and his gaze snapped over to Luna's tiny form. She waved, making sure that it looked vague and half-hearted.

"'Lo." She said, crawling forward. The dim light from the candles framed her head, making it look as though she had a halo of pure light surrounding her. The effect must have been impressive because Charlie suddenly looked shy, a blush tingeing his cheeks a color not far from his hair.

"Hello." He croaked, extending a hand. She ignored it.

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End chapter 64

Yeah, weird place to stop, but (oh the horror!) my hands really hurt and I have a bunch of stuff to do coughofficeworkcough and I didn't want to deprive you of an update. Review if you want to.


	65. Chapter 65

CHAPTER 65

He had repeatedly checked Rael's body for any sign of…well, anything, and had come up empty once again. Smoothing back the barely-there fringe from his forehead, he bent and kissed it lightly before leaving to join his men at dinner.

When the door clicked shut, the frozen Angel's eyelids fluttered. Opening fully, they snapped around the room for the source of the noise. A curious hand rose to gently touch the slight dampness that remained from the kiss. The layer of ice coating his face cracked painfully when a tiny smile tugged at frozen lips.

------

_Dear Harry,_

_Once again you will be forced to spend Christmas apart from us. Some family troubles have emerged and we don't want you to get involved in the pointless rubbish just yet. We are sending you a present, and we're not sure when it will get there, so it could be a little late. Hope you like it!_

_Bronislav and Vladimir_

_P.S. you had better not be getting into any trouble!_

At the bottom of the letter was a rather bad drawing that seemed to portray two taller figures and a little one that must be some attempt on Vladimir's part to depict the odd little family they made. He grinned nonetheless, having already consoled himself over spending the holidays 'alone'. The Castle and its pet would be plenty company this December.

Still smiling, he re-read the love letters from Asmodeus. They gave no information on where he was or what he was doing, but described in no uncertain terms how he felt about Harry.

He was still waiting for the fluttery feeling in his chest to go away.

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End chapter 65

Yeah, it is more like a drabble than a chapter, but I am in a rush. Review and you might get a double update for today.


	66. Chapter 66

Fun Fact (or not) : I imagine my James to look like MCR's lead singer in their UK video 'I Don't Love You'. No idea why I told you guys that, but it could help shatter your beloved mental images of what he should/does in canon look like. Lily looks like the singer for Karmacoda to me, in case anybody cares. It's not like she's even in the story…

CHAPTER 66

The streetlamps were blindingly bright after having spent her life around candles, and Luna found herself wishing she had brought some sunglasses or something to dim it.

"Hey little girl, what you doin' out here all by your lonesome?" The man's voice was husky, and she could tell he was a smoker. His features were cast into sharp contrast by the lights, and, sure enough, a cigarette dangled from scarred fingers.

"I was just getting some air. What about you?"

He didn't answer her question, but asked one of his own. "So, you really are alone? No mummy or daddy with you?" She shook her head, smiling. This man would pay dearly if he dared to lay a finger on her, though. She hadn't drank anything that evening (Mrs. Weasley had eyes like a hawk) and was therefore fully aware of her surroundings. He had taken a step closer, allowing her to see that he was a bit taller than average, had shoulder-length blond hair, and eyes that put the iciest gaze she'd ever seen to shame.

Deciding that she might as well be polite, she answered, "No. My mother is dead and my father is insane. I happen to be taking a walk alone because I wanted to have some time to think, but talking to you is as good as any other option I have at the moment." She paused, and then added, "I'm Luna, by the way. What is your name?"

"Raphael."

"Like the Angel?"

"Exactly." He smirked, taking a drag from his cigarette. She smiled at him and took a seat on the freezing bench that rested under the closest streetlamp. After a moment, he joined her. Leaning forward, he rested his elbows on his knees and turned his head to examine her more closely, now that he could see her clearly. Noticing his gaze, she returned the favor and took in his loose white dress shirt (wasn't he cold?) and gray slacks. He wore no tie, and most of the buttons of his shirt were undone, and on his feet were a pair of gleaming leather boots. He dressed quite nicely, she noticed, and seemed the type to be used to money. It didn't explain what he was doing in a place like this, though, where you could hear the screams of whores and the breaking of various glass objects. Somewhere, one of the screams reached a pitch that only a child could achieve.

Luna winced.

"You alright?" Her companion asked, gaze shifting from her distracting array of necklaces and bangles to her eyes. She nodded, trying to regain her composure. Her memories of being in the exact same place as the other child were barely staying on the edges of her consciousness, and she couldn't afford to have a relapse in the middle of a freezing street with a strange who might take advantage of her vulnerability.

"So, what do you do?" She asked, hoping desperately that making conversation would help stave off the memories.

"I'm, uh, a doctor of sorts."

"Does that pay well or is it not worth looking at people's blood and guts?"

An unexpected harsh laugh seemed to tear itself out of his throat, and he grinned at her. "No, it is certainly not worth it. And I don't get paid with anything other than my life, and I'm not even sure I want that anymore."

"What kind of patient doesn't pay the man who saved his life?" Luna cried indignantly, as unpaid public service was one of her pet peeves. He grinned again and shook his head a bit at her. "I guess I get all the ingrates, eh?"

"I'll say!" Luna said, still a bit worked up. Having calmed down, she opened her purse and pulled out an unopened bottle of fine Madeira (it had cost her dearly, but she still considered it worth the money) and handed it to him. He stared first at the wine, then at her.

"Where did you get this?" He asked, fingers tracing the intricate patterns adorning the label, almost in awe.

"I paid for it. It cost quite a bit, but I'd heard so much about it that I decided it was worth it."

"I can understand that, but this is the finest brand there is! Where did you get that kind of money? And what imbecile sold it to a child?"

"I got a discount, since I'm a regular." She smiled innocently. He blinked.

"A…regular?"

"Yes. I have a bit of an alcohol addiction, if you know what I mean."

"Oh, I know what you mean. I've just never met a child under the age of 15 who could honestly tell me they were an alcoholic. However, I can't take something this expensive from you." He tried to hand it back, but she closed his fingers over the neck of it.

"Take it. And if you really feel that bad about it, we can split it. Everyone deserves a bit of Christmas cheer, you know."

"True, that." The smile was back, and he carefully twisted the cork until it popper off. Most of people would have needed an opener, but he knew a trick. "Do we have glasses?"

"Nope. I hope you aren't germ-phobic, because you're going to be sharing that with me."

"Heh, I may be a doctor but I have nothing against sharing drinks. Ladies first." She took the bottle from his outstretched fingers and took a sip. The reports she'd heard were right. It _was _good.

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The road seemed to stretch on forever, and James was slowing being lulled to sleep by the mediocre scenery and the sight of asphalt in his central vision. Not to mention that it was nearing 1 in the morning. He was almost completely out of it when he recognized the snow-coated forest they were passing.

"Sirius! Isn't this the Forbidden Forest we are passing by?"

"Huh?" Sirius mumbled, waking from his stupor. How Regulus could drive for hours like this without falling into a similar state was still a mystery.

"Look, on the left." James was excited now, but still keeping his voice low so he didn't wake Maalik, who had practically passed out after driving all day. Sirius turned his head, carefully examining the trees. James was right! Nostalgic memories of sneaking out into those woods on the Full Moons with Remus, or with girls, came flooding back and he began to share the silly grin James was sporting. Despite the Headmaster, the Castle still held a special place in their hearts.

"We should go visit it sometime." James suggested, resembling greatly his pre-massacre self. Sirius blinked, having almost forgotten what James looked like with no hidden stress marring his features. Oh yes, they would be visiting the Castle some time if it meant that he could keep that look on his friend's face a little longer.

------

The bottle was empty and forgotten on the concrete of the road, since its consumer's were dancing the waltz in the freshly falling snow. Breaking apart from their half-crazed dance, Luna spun solo through the falling flakes, knowing that she would be soaked when they melted. She wasn't cold, the alcohol having taken any stray shivers with her worries after drinking. A childish giggle came out her throat. It was three in the morning and there was nobody to tell her that little girls should be in bed, or that she shouldn't dance with strangers in the middle of a road. No cars were around anyways, so she didn't see why it mattered.

"Be careful!" Raphael called when she stumbled over a pothole in the road. The snow cushioned her bare knees, though, so she smiled at him to show she was okay. He helped her up and said, "It's getting late, and we will catch frostbite if we stay out any longer. My apartment is just that way, if you need a place to sleep for tonight."

"Oh, I couldn't intrude!" Luna protested, waving her hands. The rapid movements soon fascinated her and she continued moving her hands, admiring the way her fingers bled together before her eyes into a singular mass of pale flesh. He laughed at the expression on her face and picked her up, slinging her too-light body over his shoulder. He couldn't possibly leave her alone out here where anyone could do what they liked to her.

"I insist that you come, Luna."

"M'kay." Her answer came, muffled by his shoulder. She sure had submitted fast, he mentally snickered. When he had come out for a smoke earlier that evening, he hadn't expected to find such an interesting companion in this tiny human child, but he had and he gotten some Madeira out of the bargain too.

Approaching his complex, he dug into his pockets for his key. Pulling it out, he stuck it in the lock and entered, taking in the sight of a pathetic guard fast asleep on the cheap folding chair his landlord must have provided. Human nature was overtly predictable, which is why someone who stands outside the mold should be treasured. The elevator's jerk seemed to startle Luna, and she stared in awe at the numbers indicating which floors they were rising past.

After insistent questioning from her, he ended up explaining how the pulleys worked and how electricity powered the motor. She soaked the information up, grayish-blue eyes wide. Obviously, she was the type to pursue knowledge to the ends of the earth, something that he admired greatly.

His explanation had covered the entire walk to the end of hall where his door was and he had situated her in his bathroom with a large shirt to change into so he could dry her wet clothes.

"So, pulleys create power by themselves?"

"Yeah, kind of."

"Cool! Okay, I'm done." She handed her clothes after opening the door. She then skipped over to his lumpy bed and flopped on it dramatically. He grinned to himself and plucked some hangers out of his closet on his way to the kitchen. His current living situation was cramped, but it had shielded him from investigating Humans for a long time so he was as satisfied as he could be. Her garments were hung up and hung on a line over the sink so the water would drip down the drain instead of through the floorboards into the old lady's flat that lived below him.

She must have kept her jewelry, he noted. Heading back into his bedroom/library he found her perusing his medical journals while sipping from a metal flask. He could smell the alcohol from where he was standing and his eyebrows rose. She really _was _an alcoholic then.

"See anything interesting?" He asked, trying not to startle her. She nodded, shooting him a smile over a tiny shoulder. "I can't decide which one to look through first. Are these expensive?"

"Um, it depends on the brand and field it covers. And not all of the best ones can be found in England."

"How long would you say it took you to amass this collection?"

"About half a century. Why?"

"Oh, just curious. You don't look that old, you know."

_Dammit!_

"Well, I haven't been around for that long myself, of course. What I meant was…" His explanation was obviously falling on deaf ears, as she was examining him shrewdly.

"I thought so." She suddenly said, moving closer.

"Thought what?" He swallowed. He really liked this girl, and didn't want to alter her memories.

"You're not human, are you? I knew there was something different, something _more _about you when we met, but I wasn't sure until now." Seeing the look on his face, she continued, "I don't think any more or less of you, Raphael. And I'm not scared, nor will I tell anyone. I don't want to know what exactly you are, I just want to be friends. Does that sound alright?"

"Yes! God, that sounds wonderful. Thank you so much for not throwing a fit of some kind."

"Why should I? I can tell that you aren't a Vampire, and you can't be a werewolf since it is a full moon tonight and we were dancing under it, and you haven't made a single violent move since we met. Just don't try to eat me, and I think we'll be just fine."

He laughed at the thought of eating her, and smiled down at her. "Would you like some tea?"

"Tea would be lovely, but I refuse to be waited on like a princess. I will make YOU some tea so you aren't doing all the work here." She moved passed him to the kitchen, and he followed. They ended up making the tea together, since she didn't know her way around his cupboards and drawers.

-----

End chapter 66

Well, I felt pretty bad about the pathetic excuse of a chapter you guys got yesterday, so this one is extra long, and featuring the 3rd arc-Angel so far. In case you didn't get that Raphael is the Arc-Angel of Healing, Michael is the Arc-Angel of War, Uriel is the Arc-Angel of Death, and Gabriel (who hasn't made an appearance yet, and is female in this fic) is the Arc-Angel of Charity.

Review! I put my blood, sweat, and tears into these chapters!! shakes fist


	67. Chapter 67

Heh, it is now time for silly info-paragraphs with Mariel (veggie tales reference)!

The seven deadly sins are

Lucifer-Pride

Mammon-Avarice

Asmodeus-Lechery [we already knew that one, of course ;)

Satan-Anger

Beelzebub-Gluttony

Leviathan-Envy

Belphegar-Sloth

I hope that was useful to some of you! And now onto a weird little poll thingy: some of you guys want some competition for Asmodeus' and Harry's relationship, but I don't know who to have come between them in a romantic way. It can't be any of the members of Harry's Slytherin groupies, though, since I already have pairings picked for them. Older Slytherin students are definitely on my consideration list, but I always get stuck between Flint and Davies. A member of a different house is also good, and could we please make them a little older? Most 2nd years won't realistically be able to put the moves on Harry because of his sensibilities against stupidity in his peers.

Review, and if you want to keep it snappy, just write the name of your choice.

CHAPTER 67

Despite his best efforts, Harry still found himself feeling more than a little morose. Hedwig had decided to hibernate, and the Castle was occupied 'sabotaging the idiot'. He wasn't quite sure which idiot she was referring to, and didn't want to be rude so he didn't ask. He had read all 17 of his books that he had allotted to himself to read over the holidays, and had practiced as much magic as he could without breaking his anti-Ministry charm that Luna had graciously deposited in his hands before leaving. It was rather odd-looking, actually. It resembled an old tarot card with the figure scraped off and replaced with feathers and a few herbs, and then the whole thing dipped in some kind of wax that didn't melt or rub off on his hands when he ran his fingers over it.

Since his eyes had started to ache from staring into the fire, he stood up and wandered out of the common room and into the dungeons outside. He made sure to skim his fingers gently along the rough stones as he went, since he knew she liked to be stroked.

---

Luna's eyes cracked open slowly, and she noticed something new. Her line of vision was completely obscured by something soft and white and fluffy. Since her own bedspread consisted of a collection of patchwork quilts that she had salvaged from the attack with the smallest amount of holes, this kind of luxury was much appreciated. Sighing, she burrowed deeper and stretched her limbs out to get rid of any sleeping cramps. Her leg brushed something warmer than the comforter and her head snapped up from where she had buried it in the pillow. Now that she could see a bit more than just the bedspread, she noticed another mass of blond hair sticking up from the comforter. Before she could panic, she remembered where she was, what she had done last night, and who it was beside her. Considering how cold it was outside last night, it was no wonder that he had decided to move from the frigid couch to the bed.

Since he seemed to be undisturbed in his sleep, she lay back down and turned her attention to the crack in the drapes covering his window. Through it she could see the top of another scummy building, but then the unnaturally bright sky of winter took up the rest of the sliver. She smiled.

Today would be a day of good fortune.

-----

"So, how are things?" Lucifer asked awkwardly, not knowing quite what to say to his seething brother. Michael's hands clenched in his lap and Lucifer winced. That had obviously been a bad choice of words. But really, what was he supposed to say? It's not like there was some kind of manners book that had a chapter or even a paragraph covering what one did when forced to have tea with one's brother with whom you have been estranged for the past millennia.

"Fine. Just fine." The redhead finally forced out, looking like he wanted nothing more than to leap over the desk and strangle him with his bare hands. Not that it would do much good, considering that they were immortal, but it was the principle of the thing.

"Good, good. You, um, had a message for me?"

"Yes." He ground out, reaching stiffly into his pocket. His fingers produced a folded piece of paper that seemed to glow, the light creating strange shadows along the walls that seemed to move like independent creatures. Tearing his eyes away from them, Lucifer reached out to take the envelope. A shudder ran up his spine when he touched it, and he had to resist the urge to weep.

"Since my purpose is accomplished, although we could have been a bit quicker about it, I will be leaving." He stood up and strode out of the chamber as well as his short stature allowed. Lucifer smirked at the sight before it faded, remembering the message. It had been a while since anyone from up _there _had deigned to even think of his pitiful existence, and he dreaded to think of who it could be.

--

End chapter 67

Review!


	68. Chapter 68

CHAPTER 68

It was a peaceful winter afternoon, with the heavy blanket of snow muffling almost all sound for miles. That is to say, it _was _peaceful, until a boy screamed, "YES!! BOO-YAH!" Birds scattered, icicles shattered, and snow cracked in the force of his sound waves.

Several seconds after the obnoxious cry, a small figure nearly dwarfed in an old military jacket came sprinting up a hill and skidded to a stop in front of the Lovegood residence. Pausing to catch his breath, he knocked on the rotting door. After several minutes Luna opened it, dressed in a t-shirt that hung to her knees. And she was grinning, looking just as devious and pleased with herself as Harry. They had successfully orchestrated the bilocation spell, and his new double was covering for him at the Castle while he spent some time with Luna.

"Come in quick, Harry! It is freezing out here!" Luna shooed him in and he made sure to stamp the snow off his boots before divesting himself of his coat. Leaving them in a heap on the floor, he followed Luna up the creaky stairs to her room, which was actually the attic converted since they didn't have too much space.

Getting comfortable on her bed, he asked why she was wearing a shirt instead of something warmer.

"Well, it was a present, and it is quite warm. I'm not cold at all."

"Heh, who gives t-shirts as presents?"

"I slept in it, and he said I could keep it. So it wasn't like a Christmas or birthday present."

"Ah." Harry said, eyes wandering around the disorganized piles of books, clothing, and random odds and ends. Seeing a purple feather, he reached over and pulled it out. It was quite lovely, but he couldn't think of any use for it. A silence descended over them, but it wasn't awkward in the least. Harry played with the feather, stroking his arm and the bedspread in turns. Finally, he asked, "So, have you anything to drink?"

-------

Somebody giggled, they weren't sure which, but it spurred a fit of painful laughter. Painful because they were sprawled on the freezing hardwood floor, which was strewn with many pointy-edged objects. They had rolled off the bed somewhere around half-way through the first bottle of cheap red wine, and were now working on a much mellower keg of ale. Most people would be passed out by now, but Harry was under the impression that their magic affected their ability to get drunk off Muggle alcohol.

Hysterics over with, Harry passed the bottle to Luna. "T'ank you, 'Arry." She slurred, raising herself on her elbows to take a sip. At this state, they were more concerned with enjoying the taste than getting a buzz.

"Welcome, Luna." He replied, burrowing into a frilly nightdress conveniently near his head. Why were girl's clothes so much softer than boys?

He slowly drifted off to sleep, while Luna murmured about hippogriffs for another hour or so before joining him.

---------

"Mum, I'm just going to go hang out with Luna for a bit. Do you mind?" Ginny asked, pulling on her boots and coat.

"No, I don't mind as long as you're back before dark. If you lose track of time, do not bother coming home until morning. I heard some howling in the woods last night, and I don't trust you walking by them by yourself."

"Yes mum." Ginny called, already out the door. Molly rolled her eyes and returned to the oven where she was making biscuits. God knows her children ate them faster than she could make them!

The wind ripped through her coat almost immediately, and Ginny put her head down to avoid it stinging her eyes too much before running up the hill to Luna's house. Not bothering to knock, she headed inside. When Luna didn't come swaying down the stairs as usual, she wondered if maybe she was taking a nap or something. Shrugging it off, she left all her stuff except her purse at the bottom of the stairs before heading up them. Coming to Luna's room, she pushed the door open and found herself staring at a rather unusual sight.

At first all she could see from her vantage point (the floor sloped upwards because of the raised kitchen ceiling) was a mass of blond hair, but then she saw that there was black mixed in with it. There wasn't anyone from around here with hair that color, so her curiosity was piqued. Moving closer, while being as quiet as the creaky floor would allow, she saw that the black hair belonged to a _boy, _and Potter at that. How had he gotten here? Her interest shifted to his arm wrapped around Luna's waist, and his face buried in a pile of old skirts. In Luna's hand was an empty bottle of beer, and several more were scattered around them. She had known that Luna drank, but she'd never actually seen it like this, which was amazing considering that they were practically neighbors and had been friends since they could talk.

Since she could see goose bumps on Luna's legs, she grabbed a quilt off the bed and placed it over them, intending to leave afterwards. Before she could take a step away, a cold hand touched her ankle. Freezing in place, she looked down to see Harry smiling sleepily up at her. "Hi, Weasley." He said, voice slightly husky from sleep. His eyes drifted closed after he greeted her, and his grip slackened on her sock-clad ankle. But she didn't move, seemingly frozen in place with a small smile playing about her lips and a bright red blush gracing her cheeks.

-------

End chapter 68

I know the last chapter sucked, and I am sorry about that. And this one is late too! 

Please review. If you still like me after the lame chapter you got yesterday, that is.


	69. Chapter 69

CHAPTER 69 (pervy giggle)

"Hey, what if Harry is at Hogwarts?" Sirius asked, making everyone in the car jump. They had somehow managed to cram themselves and their belongings into one cab, and the driver frequently glared at them through his mirror. It wasn't their fault that his trunk was so small that they had to sit on each other to make enough room for the luggage!

"I doubt it. Ever since the war they've been a lot more exclusive about whom they give entrance to." Regulus replied, twirling a black curl around several fingers from his position on James' lap. He had wanted to sit on his brother, but for the sake of preventing sexual frustration and getting kicked out of the car by their driver, he had elected to sit on James instead.

"But Harry is James' son, and they almost always invite the second and third generations."

"Even if Harry _is _at Hogwarts, we can't get in and we would have to dig up the school's student records to see if he declined or whatever." James broke in, shifting his thighs a little under Regulus' weight.

"Yeah, and you have to have authorization from the Headmaster to even see the cabinet they are kept in, so it is pointless." Maalik added from his place on Sirius' legs. He had looked suspiciously depressed when Regulus had elected to sit on James, which had made Sirius exchange a questioning look with James, who had smirked.

"Exactly! Who wants to brew the Polyjuice?" Sirius asked brightly, oblivious to the exasperation he was cultivating in his friends minds.

---

Since the other students were arriving back today, Harry had terminated his Bilocation, and the following barrage of memories as his minds melded together again had made him vomit several times into the closest drain or toilet. And that was where Blaise and Ted had found him, wandering into the loo to wash their hands before dinner and getting treated to the sight of Harry bent double over the sink. Blaise had helpfully held his hair back until Harry finished emptying the entire contents of his stomach, which really wasn't much, but he was dry-heaving so much it didn't mean anything.

"Shit, Harry! What did you eat for lunch? Do a brother a favor and tell me what to avoid!" Ted exclaimed, taking in the sight of Harry's pasty complexion. His veins stood out starkly against his paper-thin skin and his eyes had deeper shadows than usual under them.

"I didn't eat anything, guys. I just got nauseous is all." He wiped the water off his chin with his sleeve, cleverly avoiding their eyes. None of them had been able to muster enough power to perform Bilocation and he didn't want to hurt any feelings by informing them of his success.

"What is going on in here?" A cold voice suddenly asked from behind them. Ted jumped and Blaise let out a tiny squeak that he would deny the existence of adamantly later. Harry made no reaction other than to straighten his posture out of respect to his Head of House.

"Nothing sir. Just an upset stomach. I'm about to go to the Infirmary, so you needn't worry." Harry answered, his voice a feeble croak due to the pressure his throat muscles had been put under.

Snape's sharp eyes appraised him, taking in the diminutive sight of James' child. He had known that there was a Potter in his house, but hadn't known that it had been the same one he was thinking of. The boy was smaller than his classmates, but seemed to radiate authority and childish charm at the same time. "I'll escort you. Wouldn't want you vomiting in any inappropriate orifices along the way, would we?"

"No, sir. But if you have other obligations, I wouldn't want to intrude on what I'm sure is a busy schedule."

"It is no trouble at all." Any extra moments he had to examine the boy were more than welcome to his mind. "This way." He took Harry's arm and led him down the stairs; through the busy Common Room (He had garnered quite a few stares by the time they made it to the door) and out into the corridors that led to the upper levels. Harry did not make any effort to start a conversation like he would have under normal circumstances due to his throat, and Professor Snape didn't seem the chatty type anyway.

Severus took his time taking in the boy's manner on their way, and was startled to discover what looked like blood under his fingernails and some cleverly disguised holes, burn marks, and spell damage to his school robes. Just what kind of shenanigans had his students been up to lately? It would seem that he had been neglecting his duties as their head of house and would therefore need to spend more time spying on and journaling their activities. Especially Potter and his little friends.

His thoughts were cut off by the sight if the Infirmary doors ahead, and Potter's soft voice excusing himself before he headed inside. He knew Potter's type alright, and the last of his kind was now so feared that nobody would even speak his name.

Now, he was due a visit to Minerva's office. Since no one was around to see, he allowed himself a smile before setting out for her domain on the other side of the Castle.

-----

"I don't know _what _you did, but it has rearranged your entire nervous system. It almost looks like it was 'doubled' in some way, then put back together. I hope you weren't doing anything you weren't supposed to be, young man!" Madam Pomfrey tapped her wand against his nose, obviously trying to look disapproving but ending up indulgent and even amused instead.

Being sure to show all of his pearly baby teeth, Harry grinned at her and said, "Oh, I'll stay out of trouble, ma'am. Thank you for, you know, looking me over."

"Oh, its no trouble at all, Harry! Stop by any time, dear." She patted his head before shooing him off before he could snag any of her medical journals. Ever since that Chang girl had gotten those seizures, she had been extra careful about who saw what in her book collection.

-----

"Alright, boss man, what is our next project?" Gregory asked, pausing to ask in between spoonfuls of pudding. They were at the return feast, but Harry hadn't touched a bite of food lest he vomit on one of his friends.

"Well, I did some research and Ectenic Force seems doable."

He received blank looks. Realizing that they didn't know what it was, he hastened to explain. "It is, um, supposed to be a special power that mediums use through their minds to move objects by manipulating the life force that permeates everything. Kind of like pulling puppet strings with your mind. This will mean paying attention in Divination class and seeing if we can convince Professor Trelawney to loan us some of her advanced texts on widening your Inner Eye and the like. Now, since I am not the 'boss man'" He paused to glare at Gregory, who shrank back in his seat "you guys are allowed to bring any other ideas to the table and we will vote. Sound fair?"

They nodded, and since no one had any better ideas, they agreed to attempt to master this 'Ectenic Force'.

Provided they could resist murdering Trelawney first.

----

End chapter 69

Kyaa! Double update! Since I had some free time, I decided to treat you guys. Review if you love me! You know you do! 3


	70. Chapter 70

CHAPTER 70

"Do you like it?" Pansy asked, twisting her body into exaggerated poses. The bubblegum pink dress she was wearing consisted of a tighter bodice and chiffon skirts that poofed out in a way that made her resemble a ballerina. Or a cheap drawing of a princess in a child's book.

"Uh, it's colorful?" Ted offered, eyes still fixed on the mass of fabric that the skirt consisted of.

"I know! I didn't think I even liked pink until I saw it." Pansy cooed, admiring herself in a conjured mirror. There was a dance for the older students, and a Ravenclaw third year had sidled up to their usual haunt in the library and asked Pansy if she would go with him. Since he wasn't a total dork, she had agreed and was now trying to select something to wear, never mind that the event wasn't until that Friday, and it was currently Sunday afternoon. She twirled in a circle, attracting some odd looks from the other students in the common room.

"What's going on?" Harry asked, wandering down from the boy's dorms. He had just finished writing a letter to Asmodeus, and was planning on summoning a Grigori tonight to deliver it. Doing this was quite risky, and would drop his magic levels dangerously towards complete exhaustion, but he missed him too much to restrain himself any longer.

"I am picking a dress for the dance. What do you think of this one?" Pansy asked, fluffing up her hair as if it would somehow alter his opinion. He surveyed the eyesore and slowly circled her to get every angle.

"I think the color suits you, but not the style. Try shortening the skirt to your knees and taking off about half of the fluffy stuff."

"You know, that actually sounds like it would look pretty nice. Hold on while I go alter it." She pushed him into a chair so he couldn't leave and dashed up the stairs to her dorm to double-check the alteration book. Several minutes later, which the boys had passed staring into space, she skipped back down the steps, looking more like a young lady than a ball of eye-burning fluff.

"Better?" She asked, turning slowly in a circle.

"Perfect." Harry replied, more to appease her and make a speedy getaway than out of personal conviction. She glowed and went back up to carefully put the dress away until the dance.

As soon as she was out of sight, the boys collectively rose and made to leave the room as fast as humanely possible.

--------

Their latest campsite was freezing, and the soldiers were soaked to the bone in sweat, melted snow, and even blood. Asmodeus, however, had managed to remain relatively untouched by the discomforts his fellow soldiers were suffering through, and cast subtle warming charms whenever the drill sergeant wasn't looking.

A rather irritating cut above his eye would drip blood down his face every now and then, and he couldn't heal it because it would make the sergeant even more suspicious than he already was. He was sure that the various superior officers were stalking him, which had greatly impeded his plans of sending some messages to Harry. A smile flitted across his lips when he thought of his boyfriend, and it lingered a few moments longer when he imagined how Harry would fuss over him if he could be here and see him in his current state of smelly manliness.

Reaching their tents, Asmodeus hurried into his and set up multiple spells and wards to prevent any of the officers from intruding, or even thinking about him as they passed through his spellwork. Having finished barricading himself, he turned to ready himself for sleep and found a terrified Grigori sitting on the floor by his cot. His eye twitched. Hadn't he already sent a weekly report to Lucifer? Honestly! He was enduring living like a human, and actually working, and what thanks did he get? Some kind of letter of dissatisfaction, no doubt.

Snatching the packet from the shaking Creature, he dismissed it with a mental flick of his power before examining the packet of parchment closer. It was thinner than what they usually used, and had no tint of color to it except his name inscribed in blue ink on the front. It wasn't Lucifer's handwriting, either.

Getting curious, he used a sharp nail to slice open the side and slid the letter out. Opening it, he recognized it as Harry's handwriting. Grinning like a loon now, he flopped on his slab of concrete that other soldiers liked to call a cot and began reading.

------

The ice melted off of Rael, and he quickly vaporized the water before it could soak through the floorboards. Looking up, he met bored pale eyes. "Hi Raphael." He croaked, voice hoarse from disuse. Damn these human bodies and their limitations!

"Hi Rael. Haven't seen you in a while."

"Well, what with the separation of the Hierarchies, we don't exactly have much time to have tea, so to speak."

"I can agree with you. I still think He separated us to prevent another uprising like last time." Raphael inspected his fingernails in the dim lighting from the bedside candles, looking perfectly at home in the dingy room. The party had moved to London, and John had gone out to try and find somebody who might be able to do something for Rael.

Finding no leads, John had stopped in Nocturn Alley to see if they had any disreputable books on medi-magic that might have some information. While he muttered to himself, moving slowly through the medicinal books section in a shady book store, he had literally bumped into Raphael, who had been eavesdropping on his mutters. The Angel then stalked him back to the hotel, waited until he left to go talk to 'Maggie', and then climbed in the window via the fire escape.

Just as Raphael lit up a cigarette, John unlocked the door and entered, arms full of groceries. The bags clattered to the floor when he saw a strange blond man in his room, though. Then his eyes lit on Rael, who now looked a lot less like an icicle.

"What-how-who?!" He was apparently trying to ask too many questions at the same time, but Raphael had no desire to show any mercy and be helpful, so he just took a drag of his cigarette. Getting himself together, John tried again.

"Who are you and why are you in my room?"

"I'm a...friend…of Rael's." He took another drag, the smoke filling his lungs. Exhaling, he continued, "And I decided to pay him a visit. Finding him in a condition not conducive to conversation, unless you are a telepath, I cured him of his predicament. What's it to you?"

"I happen to be a friend of Rael's as well, and I'm a Healer but was unable to cure him. How did you cure him when you don't have any medical experience? Is it an emotional based disease? Will it come back? Does he need to take any-"

"Hey, can you stop with the questions for a little bit?" Raphael interrupted, exhaling smoke from his nose. John nodded, looking embarrassed. "Thank you. I happen to be a doctor who specializes in these kinds of maladies. I can guarantee that my level of medical experience far surpasses anything you've encountered before, and the illness won't be coming back if he abides by the rules like he should have."

"I lost track of time Raphael, you know that! Why would I deliberately sabotage my own health?!"

"It may have been awhile, but I've known you since you hatched, hell I was the one who cracked you in the first place, and I know quite well how much of a masochist you can be."

"What does that have to do with anything?!" They were now standing toe-to-toe, glaring spitfire. John didn't know what to do, since there seemed to be an undercurrent of some kind of old tension that had been reawakened.

"Everything." Raphael hissed. "And I know that where you are now is a punishment of some kind, just like mine is. I'll be seeing you." He abruptly vanished in a cloud of sweet-smelling smoke, making John cough.

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End chapter 70

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	71. Chapter 71

CHAPTER 71

An awkward silence descended after Raphael's impressive exit. Finally, John broke it.

"What rules, Rael? What is going on?" The redhead turned to face him and plastered on a reassuring smile. "Nothing to worry about, John. There is nothing wrong now, and I won't turn into an ice statue again, I promise."

"I should hope not! That came out of nowhere, and I didn't know what to do. I was so scared that you…that you wouldn't come back." Several emotions flittered across his face at once, and he swallowed harshly as if holding back tears. Rael immediately rushed to his side, pulling him close before he started showing some kind of extreme sadness. He had never been good at comforting humans, since he was more in charge of monitoring spirit travel, but he would brave it if John needed him.

------- (was John too feminine? Give me feedback!)

"Do you have anything on the Life Source?" Harry asked Madam Pince politely, the top of head barely clearing her counter. She lowered her glasses on her nose and leaned forward so she could see him.

"Only in the Restricted Section young man. Do you have a permission slip?"

"Yes ma'am." He removed the forged slip of parchment from his pocket and set it on the counter for her inspection. She tapped it with her wand and it let off a puff of orange smoke. Harry let out a tiny sigh of relief. It had taken much research and spying to figure out how the slips worked, and it would have been disastrous if there had been a little catch that he had missed.

She stood up, keys jingling on their ring tied to her waist. "This way, then." Leading the way to the back, she unlocked one of the gates and ushered him in. He scanned the shelves as they passed, nimble fingers nicking two books on Metagnomy without her noticing.

"We only have two volumes on the subject, and one of them is above your permission slip. Here is the text you may take." She deposited a book almost half his size in his arms titled '_What Makes the Natural Laws Function and How to Bypass Them' _by _Nicholas Goethe._

He smiled at her and she looked nervous for a few seconds before leading the way back to the front desk since the Restricted Section was far more maze-like than the rest of the library. Absently humming, he swayed slightly back and forth in some kind of unknown dance while he waited for her to log the book for him. The extra volumes were heavy in his bag, but he didn't dare cast a lightening charm where she might hear it and give him a detention for using magic outside of classes. When she was about to hand him the enormous tome, he asked if she could shrink it for him. Giving him a slightly less-stern-than-usual look, she complied. He wished her a good day before heading out, entirely missing the shocked blush spreading across her cheeks.

----

The Common Room was crowded today, and Harry had to slip through several groups of chatting teenagers and giggling firsties before reaching his group. They were playing the Exploding Snap, and since Ted looked about ready to kill, he was losing badly. Gregory was winning, if you judged by the smug grin twitching at the corners of his mouth. Vincent sat next to him, looking almost asleep with boredom while Pansy and Daphne prattled on to each other about God knows what. Millicent was seated between Ted and Blaise and it looked like she was cheating, if that was even possible while playing Exploding Snap.

He cleared his throat and everybody paused, eyes fixing on him as he stood there burgeoned down with books. Grinning, he produced the book.

"Oh my God! Yes!" Pansy squealed, seizing the book and hugging it tightly. When everyone in the room stopped what they were doing to stare at the scene she was making, Harry quickly ushered his friends upstairs into the boy's dormitory since it was more private and they were all able to fit inside.

"So this is it, huh?" Draco asked, bouncing in place in his seat next to Harry on Greg's bed.

"Yes, my friends, it is." Harry replied, doing his best imitation of a cheap villain.

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End chapter 71

Sorry its short!


	72. Chapter 72

Info: My original inspiration for what the Slytherin 2nd-year group is the group of children in Delirium's music video 'Angelicus' which can be viewed on YouTube.

Fun fact: I was looking at Korean names and saw that 'Cho' means 'beautiful'. Subtle, Rowling, subtle…

CHAPTER 72

Since her men were too busy wishing Rael well after his rather abrupt curing, she managed to sneak off without them noticing. From under her shirt she produced a thin seemingly-undecorated coin that hung on a thick chain around her neck. Breathing on it, she waited until it produced a swirl of blue-grey smoke.

"Dmitry? You there?" She whispered, trying to ignore how weird she must look to anyone paying attention to the weird lady with the blue hair. After a few seconds, a slightly crackly voice hissed back, "What?"

"We have a situation. There is some kind of powerful Creature staying with my team, and I don't know what he is or who he works for. He does know about _us, _though, if you know what I mean."

There was a muffled gasp before, "Where are you?"

"London, just kind of looking around. We move a lot."

"Alright. See you in a few days. Should I bring anybody else with me?"

"If you want to. I don't really care."

"Okay. Thanks for the heads-up." The coin let off another bit of smoke and she tucked it back into her shirt.

-----

"Okay, let's try to move this piece of…um...fluff." Draco announced, eyeing the scrap from one of Pansy's dresses disdainfully. It was lighter than a feather, and there was lots of it in case they set it on fire and needed more.

When nobody moved, Draco sighed and said, "Alright, Harry, you go first."

"Why me?"

"Because I said so, you're the shortest, and I felt like it."

"Gee, great reasons you got there." Harry muttered before stepping up to the allotted table and concentrating on manipulating the strings of energy that connected him to the piece of fabric. Giving a mental tug, he looked down and saw that the cloth had moved in the direction of his tug slightly. Grinning, he tried again while putting a lot more force behind it. He must have pulled the wrong string, though, because, with a surprised shout, Gregory began floating.

"Whoops." Harry muttered, gently easing the pressure off the strings so Greg wouldn't break his neck coming down. "Sorry about that. Got the wrong one."

His friends were staring at him with something akin to awe. "What?" He asked, getting nervous.

"You…moved Gregory? I knew this thing would let us move objects, but people too?" Blaise asked.

"In the book it said anything the strings are connected to can be manipulated. Or were you not paying attention?" Harry glared, placing his hands on his hips. Blaise blushed.

"I was paying attention! I just…missed that part." He wouldn't meet Harry's eyes, a hand rubbing the back of his neck. Rolling his eyes, Harry said, "I don't care if you weren't paying attention. It's your loss. Oh, and you are up next."

Blaise managed to get it to twitch a bit, but in the wrong direction.

--------

It was a dark and stormy night…and Tom was sitting cross legged on the floor of his Motel room, picking the dirt out from under his nails. Across from him sat Severus Snape, the only one of his followers who'd bothered to answer the spike of heat he'd put through their tattoos. Severus appeared to be completely engrossed in the Potion's journal he was reading, eyes moving rapidly across the pages. Glancing at the title, Tom's eye twitched when he saw that it had been written by the alchemist Nicholas Flamel that had supposedly achieved immortality or something. Smirking, he thought of how he had outwitted Death itself.

Or so he thought.

Taking a sip of his beer, he scooted closer to Severus so he could read over his shoulder. The twitch in his eye increased when he saw the handwriting was almost illegible, and wasn't even in English! You would think the man would have had the decency to at least translate it into what had replaced Latin as the lingua franca. Peering closer at one of the diagrams, he saw that it resembled the circle that had been left on the floor of the Ministry after his alleged death. He had spent quite some time in the library researching the events that had followed his downfall, and was disgusted that no one had been able to identify his killer. He wanted very much to track down whoever it was an give them a taste of what he had endured in that frozen place in which he had awakened after the blinding flash of green that had followed the Being attacking him.

Severus had noticed his Lord's proximity and politely asked, "Can I help you with something?"

Tom jumped, realizing that he must have drifted off. "No, Severus. I am fine."

Snape eyed him after that strange response but soon shrugged it off, retuning to his reading. Truthfully, he didn't know what had possessed him to answer the faint call, but he had and was now very grateful for his fore-sight in bringing something to do. Usually he would have plenty of entertainment just watching the Dark Lord rant and rave about how much he hated Muggles and Dumbledore, but he seemed to need an audience that consisted of more than just one bored Potions Master.

He turned the page in his book, raising a thumbnail to his mouth before beginning to chew on it.

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End chapter 72

Review if you love me! Or pretty people with issues!


	73. Chapter 73

The music group 'Enigma' is excellent 'regain the motivation to write' music. Check it out.

CHAPTER 73

"Private Zerkowski!" The drill sergeant, Collins, yelled directly into the ear of the Demon. He had been daydreaming about Harry doing something involving a shower, and had failed to notice that he was standing in place while the rest of the soldiers were already doing warm-ups.

Turning his head slowly to regard his superior, he acknowledged him with a raise of his eyebrow. "Yes, sir?" The man's face turned bright red with suppressed fury at his apparent lack of respect.

"You are assigned an additional 60 laps around the camp, private. I suggest you pay more attention in the future! Now get over there and do your warm-ups!"

"Sir, yes, sir!" He saluted before racing off to catch up with the rest of the mindless idiots selected to act as a defense against the Creature. Muggles, the lot of them. Why the Wizarding world couldn't have arranged an army of Aurors he failed to understand. Did they think the potential end of free will inter-worldly was some kind of trivial problem not worth looking twice at? Ah well, that was what he was here for.

------

The first day of spring had arrived, bringing with it chirping birds, delicate flowers, and blades of green grass peeking through the snow. For once the sky was blue, and the sun shone brightly, driving away the chilly wind. Despite the natural beauty surrounding him and making the other students practically bounce with pent-up energy, Harry was moping. Most people would have started looking elsewhere for company if their current paramour hadn't been around for over 6 months, but Harry had never been normal.

Every time he thought of going outside and enjoying the lack of a need for a coat, he thought of not being able to share it with Asmodeus. So, while his friends were outside throwing balls of slush at each other and picking flowers, he was inside with a bad case of the blues. Heaving a sigh, he got up from his window seat alcove and made his way to the library to drown his worries in strange but wonderful information.

Hearing a new sound echoing his footsteps, he stopped suddenly and looked over his shoulder in case somebody was following him. Lone Slytherins were often the targets for bullying from other Houses, and he didn't want his self-defense skills revealing themselves so early in the game. His eyes caught sights of the edge of a yellow-trimmed robe disappear into an alcove. Smiling to himself, he started walking again. A Hufflepuff following him had a very small chance of being malicious.

Entering the library, he headed towards the shelves in the back where books on more obscure topics were stored. In a less crowded place, his stalker was forced to be stealthier, amusing Harry endlessly. Finding a biography on Nicholas Flamel, he swiped it off the shelf and stuffed it into his bag. Moving towards the Creatures section, he browsed the titles there, finding nothing of interest at the moment. Out of the corner of his eye he tried to catch a clearer glimpse of the face peeking at him around the corner of a shelf. Raising his arm, he managed to catch a reflection of them on the gleaming surface of a wrist guard Ted had given him for Christmas. It was supposed to improve your agility and male your muscle tissue harder to pull incase you were unexpectedly placed in a situation where you had to run and didn't have time to stretch or warm up or anything.

His stalker looked a few years older, and had a mop of soft-looking sandy hair. Any further details were blurred by a swirl of the design carved into the metal. Making a decision, he spun around faster than the Hufflepuff could hide and smiled gently, trying not to scare him off. "Hullo." He greeted brightly.

"Hullo." The older boy whispered, looking like he was about to faint.

"I thought somebody else was back here with me. I'm Harry, by the way." He held his hand out to the blond. Instead of shaking it, though, the other boy tried to make a run for it and ended up tripping over the hem of his too-long robes that looked second-hand. He had skinned his hands on an up cropping of the flagstones, and now sat curled into a ball on the floor nursing his injury. Feeling responsible since he had been the one to startle him, Harry slowly moved closer before kneeling down beside him.

"Can I borrow your hand for a second?" He asked, keeping his voice low and soothing so he wouldn't get startled again. The hand carefully freed itself from where it had been clutched to his threadbare sweater. Harry took it in his own and whispered a cleaning and then a healing spell to help stitch the flesh back together without it getting infected.

"I'm Edmund Barkley. P-pleased to meet you." The boy wouldn't meet his eyes, but Harry spied a blush. What was with Hufflepuffs and their penchant for being adorable?

"The pleasure's all mine." Harry released his hand after fixing any damage that might have been made. "I noticed you were following me earlier. Did you have a message for me? Or just bored?"

"N-neither. I, um, I was w-wondering if you would let me d-draw you."

"Draw me?" Comprehension dawned over him. "Oh, you're an artist. Sure. Can I read while you do, though?"

"Y-yeah. Anything you want. Thank you so much!" His brown eyes shone and he looked about ready to explode from joy. Harry blinked before smiling endearingly back.

--------

End chapter 73

Sorry about the lack of update yesterday. I was a little busier than I liked and wasn't able to catch some minutes to write.

Review and let me know if you liked Edmund.


	74. Chapter 74

CHAPTER 74

"That's the one?" Dmitry whispered into his coin, kneeling on the hard surface provided by the roof of a building. The wind had blown some dead leaves into his eyes more than a dozen times during his brief stint on it and his eyes were watering pretty badly. He may be immortal, but his body still functioned the same as any other human's.

"Yeah, with the hair." Maggie whispered back. He suppressed a snicker at her tone when she mentioned Rael's colorful dreadlocks. It was a pet peeve of hers when she couldn't tell a person's gender from behind, and had spitefully kept her hair long despite the inconvenience to prove her point. Noticing that the wind blowing past his ear was now warm, he slowly turned his head to see Ingrid Black glaring at him. Realizing that he had forgotten about their lunch date in China, he swallowed. "Um, Maggs, I gotta go. Good luck with Rael."

"Wait, what? Hey! You can't just leave me here you son of a-" Her voice was cut off when he deactivated the comm., doing his best to look innocent in the gale of his lover's mounting fury. She let her breath out in a hiss between her teeth before giving him a vicious look that promised pain and quite possibly much time spent sleeping on the couch.

-----

Hearing disturbing snickers, Bronislav looked up from his cauldron and saw that Vladimir had gotten bored enough to read some of Ingrid's books. Tilting his head, he caught sight of the title and felt his stomach churn at the thought of what kind of techniques for elf castration it contained. Feeling the eyes on him, Vladimir lowered his copy of '_Illegal and Sadistic Ways to Punish Minions' _to raise an eyebrow at his brother. Smiling to show that he was alright, if a bit green, Bronislav returned to his potion. Some days ago he had received a peace treaty from the Koreans that promised a permanent cease-fire between them if he brewed a Vampirism antidote for their princess who had been turned by Vladimir in a scuffle.

"I'm not sure you should be reading that, Vlad, considering that your own minions are already pissing themselves at the very thought of you. Actually, do you remember why Ingrid gave her precious books to _us _to baby-sit? I mean, we did kind of ruin everything else she has ever entrusted to us."

"Maybe she wanted us to read them? Or rather, she wants you to read them. You are too easy on the soldiers when you get put in charge, and I know its because of your Healer training, but there are times when humane behavior needs to take a leap of a cliff for the sake of self-preservation."

"I know that! And self-preservation isn't on my list of things to do since I happen to be incapable of dying. Or at least staying dead."

"True, but-"

"Don't even go there." Bronislav growled, stirring the concoction three times to the right. Vladimir shrank back in the couch before continuing to read the section he'd discovered on how to mummify a nymph alive and restoring them partially afterwards so they never recovered.

--------

The Common room was pleasantly warm, and Harry slowly drifted in and out of sleep from his place on the couch nearest to the fire, the glow of the flames reflected in the corner of his eye. Edmund was exhaustingly cheerful once you got him out of his shell, and he managed to draw a grand total of 34 portraits of Harry in a matter of days. They were quite good, actually, but it hurt his neck to sit up straight for hours on end. Stretching languidly, he hugged his throw pillow closer, pretending it was Asmodeus. His loneliness-produced depression had not abated, but had only gotten worse. His eating habits had regressed to what he had been doing at the Orphanage, and he was always sleeping. His studies still progressed at his usual pace, but with a lot less enthusiasm. He was lucky none of the professors had noticed him sleeping in their classes except for his Head of House, who had remained silent about it during class but had pulled him aside afterwards and cautioned him against the health risks of sleeping in a room full of potion fumes. For the sake of his brain cells, Harry now made a collected effort to stay as awake as possible in Potions. The less he ate, the less energy he had, and he had started to get thin enough for his friends to notice something was off.

Brushing off their concerns, he said he always got like this when it was raining, and they had left him alone about it. But it didn't stop them from trying to improve his spirits and make him eat more than some salad every day. None of them succeeded.

Drifting off again, he curled tighter into himself like a cat unconsciously.

-----

"Are you sure we should be doing this?" Maalik asked, looking around them at the trees nervously. He clutched the handle of his umbrella tighter when he thought he heard something moving around in the bushes behind him. It was just the rain, though, so he allowed himself to relax.

"Of course we should be doing this! All students, past or present, are always welcomed by the Castle. So we have every right to be here. Besides, if Harry _is _attending, James has parent rights to come visit, and we have sort-of rights as his entourage." Sirius replied, ducking a low-hanging branch.

"Well, if you're absolutely sure…"

"Just trust me."

They had made their way out of the muddy woods and now stood on the cut grass that covered much of the Hogwarts grounds. Passing the lake, Sirius and James threw some bread at the happily writhing tentacles that rose and fell in time to the tapping of rain on the lake's surface. Regulus just looked amused while Maalik tried to figure out why there would be some kind of monster in a lake that resided on the grounds of a school for children.

"The school is _this _way Sirius." James exclaimed, laughing while he tried to guide his wayward friend towards the building instead of into the lake.

"But I thought we did our studies with the mermaids!" Sirius exclaimed, doing a very good job imitating the high-pitched voice of a first year girl.

"No, that would be detention." James replied, mimicking McGonagall. They continued laughing and generally acting like teenagers all the way up the hill towards the gates. They all jumped when the doors swung open of their own accord, but quickly relaxed when they felt something warm and soothing slide through their souls. James sighed and said, "I missed the Castle's friendly little strokes, you know."

"Me too." Sirius agreed, looking so out of it Maalik had to suppress a hysterical laughing fit. Stepping inside, they cast drying charms and folded up their umbrellas. No children were in sight because it was early Sunday afternoon, so there was nobody to notice the entrance of four strange men. "To the Gryffindor dormitories!" Sirius crowed before dashing of down a seemingly random hall. Following him, they soon realized that there was something wrong with the hall, since it seemed to be morphing into a dead end before their very eyes.

"What the hell was that?" Maalik exclaimed, since nobody had bothered to inform him that the school was practically alive and could therefore rearrange herself as she saw fit. A new hallway with no windows or doors along its sides opened to their left, and they shrugged before heading down it. They had been walking for a good while when they saw a fireplace straight ahead, or at least the back of one. The stone used for it was blackened marble with swirls of silver and purple in it. Moving closer, they noticed that the other side of it through the flames seemed to be a room done in shades of black and gray with tiny touches of green here and there almost like afterthoughts. On a couch set close to the fire was a small figure huddled into a little ball hugging a pillow. And fast asleep. In the light of the fire they could see dark circles, a mass of messy black hair with strips of metal wrapped around braids of all sizes, and even a few bells attached to the bottoms. Her, they assumed it was a girl due to the hair and size, hands were very pale where they could see them wrapped around the pillow, and her face rivaled the moon in color.

Overall, the figure looked practically dead, and could very well be if the hands didn't shift a bit around the pillow every few minutes. The Castle sent another thrum of energy through them, bringing with it a few select images of the figure with their eyes open, wearing a Slytherin uniform and attending various classes. The images revealed the figure to be male, if a little on the girly side, and in his 2nd year. His name: Harry James Potter.

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End chapter 74

So, James has seen Harry-kins. Review so I can write more!

MalenkaMaus, I miss you!


	75. Chapter 75

CHAPTER 75

"Harry?" James whispered, eyes fixed on the still and corpse-like figure sleeping on the couch. This was his son? This tiny little thing that looked like it had been through more than any child should have to? As if sensing the attention on him, Harry stirred, the pillow sliding from slack fingers. His eyes cracked open and he feebly tried to sit up, failing miserably soon afterwards since he hadn't eaten _anything _in the past 2 days.

James eyes welled up as the full implications of what he was seeing hit him. His son was alive, but just barely, and in Slytherin House no less! How that had happened was still beyond him, since the amount of half-bloods and muggleborns had always been scant or non-existent in the Green House. Not to mention his family line had been Gryffindor for several generations, and Lily had been Muggleborn.

Harry looked into the fire, and jumped when he spied 4 men staring at him, open-mouthed from the other side. _'Maybe I'm seeing things…' _he tried to rationalize, but the men didn't leave. Since his observers weren't leaving, he decided that he might as well be friendly, so he weakly waved at them. The taller of two men with long-ish black hair waved excitedly back and Harry found himself smiling at his energy wistfully. He really should have eaten something, since now he couldn't really do much, and feeling this lethargic made him paranoid. How would he defend himself if somebody decided to attack? Smirking, he thought of how useful Ectenic force could be, now that his control over it had improved so drastically.

Hearing the bricks slide apart and then together again, he craned his neck to see who had entered the Common Room. It was Draco, escorted by Daphne and Ted. Seeing Harry on the couch, they headed over and Daphne plunked herself onto his legs, making him fight to conceal a wince. Draco sprawled on the rug in front of the fire and closed his eyes, basking in the warmth the fire provided, thawing out from his trek through the freezing dungeons. Why hadn't somebody thought of getting some heating in the lower levels of the Castle before allotting it as a place for the students to frequent?

"What's up, Harry?" Ted asked, settling on the armrest next to Harry's head.

"Nothing, I just can't move a muscle because I forgot to eat something today, and now I can't get up to drink a energy potion to fix it."

"Well, if you tell me where it is, I could go get it for you."

"You don't have to-"

"I want to. Do you have any nutritional ones either?"

"Yeah, they are all in my nightstand, bottom drawer. The energy potion is a pale blue and-"

"I know what they look like. Do you need anything else from up there?"

"Nope. Thanks so much!"

"No problem. I'm not just going to sit back and watch you waste away into a skeleton before our eyes." Harry chuckled and replied, "I think it's a bit late. I've always been a skeleton."

Rolling his eyes, Ted got up and headed to their shared dorm. Harry turned his gaze back to the fire, and saw that the wall was once again where it should be, strange men no where to be seen. Brushing it off mentally, he looked up when Ted tapped him on the shoulder, two small vials of gleaming liquid in his other hand.

"Thank you." Harry whispered voice hoarse. He tried not to spill the potion when he uncorked it with shaking fingers. Downing it, and then the other one, he smiled at Ted before reaching down to stow the empty bottles in his bag. Feeling the energy and sustenance his body so desperately needed flooding through him, he carefully slid his legs out from under Daphne's sleeping form and stepped over Draco to pull on his boots.

"I'm getting something to eat from the kitchens. Do either of you want to come?"

"Sorry, I just ate." Draco answered from the floor, long fingers picking idly at the loose threads in their cruddy carpeting. It looked like it had originally been cream, but was now so stained that it had faded to a dull gray mottled with patches of stains disturbing in their origin. Looking questioningly at Ted, the brunette shook his head. "I ate with Drake. Blaise is still up in the dorm reading, though, and he might be up for some food and a stroll."

"Okay. See you guys later." Shouldering his bag, he soon realized that he would need to place yet more lightening charms on it to compensate his weakness. He was not looking forward to classes tomorrow that was for sure. Scaling the rickety wooden stairs while gripping the rusty iron handrail, he made it to his dormitory and peeked inside. Blaise sat on Gregory's bed while the larger boy intermittently dozed and read over his shoulder, looking as collected as usual. Spying Harry, he offered a smile and quietly asked, "Yes, Harry? Did you need help with anything?"

"Um, I was just going to go get some food. Did you want to come or for me to bring you anything since you missed lunch?"

"Oh, well, now that I think about it, I am kind of hungry. I'll come with, if that's alright." He swung his legs over the side of the bed frame and set his socked feet on the freezing stones, wincing. "Why we don't all pitch in to buy some floor rugs I will never understand…" He muttered, slipping on his boots before lacing them up.

"Ready?"

"Yeah. Let's go."

-----

"Wow. I mean, I never even considered that your kid would be in Slytherin…" Regulus said, eyes roving the hall they were currently meandering through. Sirius had proclaimed himself to be hungry when the Castle had closed up the fireplace, and had skipped off in a seemingly random direction. Regulus had followed at a slower pace while Maalik had taken James arm and led him after the group, since he seemed to be in shock.

"I thought Slytherins were supposed to be evil or something." Maalik murmured while feeling very confused. He was beginning to regret having turned down his own Hogwarts letter in favor of a more local institution. Regulus glared at him and he meeped, half-hiding behind a dazed James' arm.

Seeing a painting of a pear up ahead, James seemed to perk up. Reaching it first, Sirius tickled the pear and stepped back while the painting swung outward. "Come one, guys!"

"Are you sure we're allowed to do this?" Maalik asked, getting nervous.

"Sure we are. Now get in here before I have to tickle it again." Herding them inside, they were immediately swarmed by a pack of excited House Elves asking what they would like to eat. Ordering some sandwiches and cookies, they settled themselves on the worn wooden boards that made up the kitchen floor to wait. Unexpectedly, they heard the portrait opening again, and the House Elves seemed to squeal with excitement at the sight of whoever had entered. Quickly crawling under a table, the men observed the entrance of a tall but fairly young black boy with cornrows followed by…Harry?!

The brunette was laughing at some joke his friend had made, head thrown back revealing a pearly horse-shoe of teeth. "I can't believe you said that to him!" He managed, grinning ear-to-ear once he regained control of himself.

"Well, I can't believe your idea of a familiar is a giant Basilisk you've been hiding from us. And, speaking of familiars, what the hell happened to that weird cat you used to have?"

Harry's mirth seemed to deflate, and his friend noticed right away. "Hey, I'm sorry. I didn't know it was a sensitive subject." He soothed, running a hand casually through an unbraided section of Harry's hair.

"Its okay, Blaise. Asmodeus will be back. You know how much he hates being treated like the pet he is."

"Heh, yeah, I remember. What do you want to eat?"

"Um, I can't handle too much food right now without throwing up, so maybe some soup?"

"Master Potter would like some soup?" A random house elf asked, bouncing into view.

"Yes, please, if it's not too much trouble."

"No trouble at all for us to serve the very kind Master Potter!" It squealed, looking happy just to be in the presence of Harry. "What would you like, Master Zabini?"

"Umm, do you have any of the stew we had yesterday night left? That was really good."

"Of course, of course. Clunky will be right back with them. You may go sit with the other guests while you wait if you like."

"Other guests?" Harry asked looking puzzled.

"Oh yes! The older ones that came just before you. They are under that table there." It indicated their hiding place with a knobby finger before scampering off to fetch their food. Harry and the Zabini kid craned their necks downwards and caught sight of them. Sirius waved, trying not to look too suspicious.

----

End chapter 75

Sorry about the sort-of cliffhanger from last chapter. Hope you guys liked this one.


	76. Chapter 76

CHAPTER 76

"Um…hello?" Harry waved back at Sirius, clearly confused. Not wanting to be rude, he moved closer and sat down just in the shade of the table, tugging on Blaise's sleeve to make him sit next to him. "I'm Harry, and this is Blaise." The taller boy smiled at them politely while fiddling with his tie. "So, where are you from? Are you here to inspect the school or something?" Harry's back had started to feel sore from having no support behind it so he angled himself so he could commandeer Blaise's shoulder.

"Actually, Harry, we were looking for you." The shorter of the two long-haired dark ones replied. "I am Regulus Black, and this is my brother Sirius, his friend James, and Healer Maalik."

"Nice to meet you. What did you want with me, though? I haven't done anything wrong, and if you work for the Ministry you need authorization to even touch me. I have no health problems, so a Healer is quite unnecessary."

"What? No! We aren't here on any official business, Harry. You see, um…James here is your…uhh…"

"My what?" Harry asked, getting increasingly confused. He looked over at James who was staring unashamedly at him without blinking. _'Well, that's not creepy at all, is it?' _

"Could one of you explain to me what is going on?" He commanded, getting put out that he wasn't in control of the situation. "And do stop staring at me!" He snapped at James, taking out his frustration.

"I'm your father." James finally whispered, eyes sliding off of him to fasten on the floor.

"What?" Harry whispered. "If you're my dad, why didn't you come get me from the Dursleys? From the Orphanage? From Dr. Polski? What kind of father are you?!" He was quite worked up now, but it was mostly his hunger migraine talking.

"I was in a forced coma in St. Mungo's, and then in hiding." James replied, feeling very ashamed of himself. How could he have let his child be adopted by strangers? To be sorted into Slytherin?

"Oh. That's alright then. Sorry about getting mad, and I love my guardians very much and I have no complaints about the way they have raised me. How did you get inside the school so easily? I know the Headmaster is gone right now, but that doesn't mean the Castle's wards are anything to sniff at, are they, girl?" Seemingly at random, he stroked the floor, and Sirius jumped when it seemed to warm under them.

"Well, the Castle liked us when we attended, so I guess her opinion hasn't changed since then."

"How nice for you. What Houses were you guys in?" Harry said before an Elf came over bearing everyone's food. "Well, Sirius and I were in Gryffindor along with your mum."

"Slytherin." Was Regulus' curt answer before he took a bite of his sandwich. Harry and Blaise smiled extra for him, which did not go unnoticed by James.

"What about you?" Harry asked Maalik, doing his best to be polite to complete strangers who were apparently either related to or close to his relatives.

"Oh, I didn't attend Hogwarts. My mum was one of those paranoid types that didn't want me too far from home. If she hadn't died several years ago, I would have never been able to become a Healer."

"What is your field of medical expertise?" Blaise asked, joining the odd interrogation-style conversation.

"Mental patients and various forms of unstable soul activity."

"So that's how you met James!" Harry exclaimed, things starting to come together in his mind now that he had started to pay more attention.

"Yeah, I was assigned as his personal healer and I noticed that the serum he was being fed to 'stabilize' him was actually poisonous when taken in such large doses. I'm still not sure how he survived all those years on it when it usually would have taken affect in a matter of months."

"Impressive." Harry complimented, smiling brilliantly at his father, who fought the blush threatening to rise up on his cheeks. He knew that neither he nor his wife had been able to smile like that, with childishness warring with deadly charm.

"Thank you. So, how does Slytherin House treat you?" James tentatively asked, hoping to god that the boy sitting beside his son wasn't his only friend. Catching on to the undercurrent of his father's thoughts, Harry fought down a smirk before replying, "Oh, they treat me lovely! Really, the entire House is like my family. Sure, we have spats every once in a while, or somebody will hurt somebody's else's feelings by accident, but in the big picture, we all love each other very much and I wouldn't give up my House for any of the others, no matter how nice they might seem."

"Aww, thanks Harry!" Blaise cooed in perfect mimicry of Pansy before hugging Harry tightly. Harry laughed and hugged him back just as tight. Hearing the portrait open again, they turned their heads to see Millicent and Pansy step inside, still giggling about some prank they had apparently pulled on the Weasley Twins without them noticing. With them was Tracey Davis, and her hair had been dyed a bright purple for some unknown occasion. Spying the boys and their strange companions, they asked for some tea from the house elves before Seating themselves next to the boys.

"What's up, guys? And who are they?"

"This is my dad and some of his friends. Tracey, what the hell did you do to your hair?!" She self-consciously patted at it before replying, "Well, I wanted to do something different with it, and my mum recently said that people who dye their hair are tramps with no self-esteem or respect for society. Needless to say, I got to dyeing right away!"

Harry ran his palm down his face. "Tracey, have I told you recently how much I pity your mother?"

"No, but I hadn't forgotten the last time so it doesn't matter terribly much."

"Wonderful. Do you guys want to take a seat so you can observe an awkward family reunion?"

Tracey looked at the other girls and they shrugged before Millicent said, "It's not like we have anything else going on that sounds any less boring."

------

"Where is your friend?" Rael asked, appearing out of nowhere behind Maggie. She shrieked and spilled her tea down her front. Collecting herself and dabbing at her blouse with a handkerchief, she turned to look at him and replied, "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"As if. I seem to recall telling you not to try any of this kind of shit around me, and you have deliberately ignored me." He glared and she squeaked, confidence shredded in the face of his outrage.

"I can expla-" she weakly tried to defend herself and he waved his hand and she suddenly found herself unable to make a sound.

"At any time I can place a lying spirit in your mouth that could make you completely destroy your personal life and relationships with your friends. I don't mind meeting the other Immortals, but no more of this sneaking about and goings on behind my back. Where I come from, honesty is a quality to be admired, and I'd hate to have my lingering respect for you shattered because of human foolishness." He paused for effect. "Do I make myself clear?"

She nodded and he twitched his fingers, allowing her larynx to vibrate with sound again. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to be sneaky or cruel or-" He cut her off with a smile. She blinked, not having seen him smile before. It was quite possibly the most beautiful thing she had ever seen, and she found herself staring in awe.

"There is nothing to apologize for Magdalena since I've already forgiven you. Just be a little more considerate next time." She nodded again, still staring. Then, before her very eyes, he disappeared in a flash of sweet-smelling smoke.

------

The Order of the Phoenix was currently crammed into a tiny house in the middle of nowhere, trying to decide on a plan of action for the capture of James Potter, since the search team Albus had set up last year didn't seem to be making any progress at all, and their tracker was a menace of a woman with a knife-like sense of humor and zero respect for authority or Dumbledore in general.

He was not in a good mood, and Minerva was making it worse with her complete inability to agree with him. Why he didn't just fire her and hire some brainless lackey to replace her he didn't know, although it might have something to do with the binding life-contract she had made him sign when she'd first come to work as a teacher at the school. It was one of the things he always ended up feeling depressed about when he got tricked into getting drunk with Severus. Speaking of Snape, where the hell was he?

Blue eyes scanning his crowd of more or less loyal minions, he saw him crammed between Bill Weasley and Kingsley Shacklebolt in a corner of the room. The fireplace flared unexpectedly, and a smug-looking Maggie followed by Healer John Wimberley, 5 aurors (the only survivors out of the original 12), and a tall man with dreadlocks dyed to resemble flames stepped out of the ashes. "Hope you didn't start without us!" She exclaimed cheerfully, picking bits of charred wood out of her hair while grinning ear-to-ear. They had not been invited, or even informed of the meeting, so how had she learned of its existence? Sometimes, Albus really hated his life. He should have accepted the position of Minister of Magic when it had been offered.

"I'm afraid you were late, and the meeting started 2 hours ago."

"Alright! Just in time for the actual decision, then."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Nymphadora Tonks snarled, taking a step towards the older woman. Fresh out of auror training and still bursting with idealistic fantasies, she was fiercely loyal to the 'cause' without knowing exactly what the cause was.

"It means that you are a crowd of warmongering imbeciles who spend several hours arguing about what should be argued about, and then an hour after that a decision is made. Since I like my brain in its current un-rotted state, I elected to skip the usual screaming fest that usually precedes my assignment. Comprendhe?"

Not able to formulate a decent reply, Tonks merely glared before sitting back down on the stained carpet. "Now that I have finished explaining myself, what seems to be the problem?"

"The problem is that you have accomplished nothing. I need James captured as soon as possible, and you seem to have no skills whatsoever in your professed field of tracking."

"I tracked you and your little parade, though. James Potter is in England, and was passing by the Forbidden Forest several days ago in an automobile that contained 2 purebloods thought to be dead and the Healer responsible for reviving Potter senior in the first place. The Castle wards should have alerted you and the whole ordeal would have been over, but She seems to find you unworthy of conversing with. Since She is one of the most forgiving beings to ever be created, it makes me wonder indeed as to what kind of offense, whether past or continuing, that you committed to make her this upset." She smirked at him, challenge written in her eyes as she crossed her arms.

"Yes, Albus, please extrapolate on that point." Minerva demanded, fire practically igniting in her eyes as she glared at him. Faced with two rather evil-intentioned females, he did the only thing he could do. He changed the subject.

----

Seeing the soldiers in front of him get blown into pieces with the blast of a missile, Asmodeus deemed the situation dire enough for him to actually pay some attention to the battle. Making sure that he was firmly under an automatic _obliviate _charm that would erase any memories of him doing something unusual from his fellow officers, he sent off a volley of fire from his palms and fried several hundred of the enemy instantly. Sending off several more, he switched to ice when a troll came running for him. Using a very fast telekinesis spell, he lifted up any loose bits of rock from the mountains surrounding their battlefield and formed them into a landslide that crushed the giants coming at them from the wood to their left. Having killed most of the opposing side, he removed the spell and went back to mediocre hand-to-hand combat with the human soldiers.

The battle ended shortly afterwards, and Asmodeus ignored the fussing Medics and headed to his tent almost immediately afterwards so he could magically remove the grime from his person in peace. He may be one of the greatest dabblers in metaphorical filth, but that didn't mean he was the type to like physical dirt on himself.

Clean and accomplished, he treated himself to a transformation into the form of Raito the cat and created a portal to take him to Harry's side.

-----

Promising to write, Harry and his friends excused themselves to go back to their dormitory and James and co. headed back through the woods to their car, complaining about the random mudslides as they picked their way through the trees and fiendish underbrush.

Flopping on his bed, Harry contemplated the newest development in his life. In all of his childhood dreams, he had never once considered one of his parents surviving whatever thing had killed them originally. It was quite an odd feeling, knowing that he technically wasn't an orphan. His eyes drifted closed as he lay there, and he soon fell asleep, bizarre dreams half-real and half-imagined flittering throughout his consciousness.

At about 3 in the morning, he was roused from his slumber by something tickling his cheek. Eyes snapping open, he looked around trying to see what it was. Finding nothing, he was about to go back to sleep when he noticed a weight on his chest. Looking down, he saw Asmodeus in cat form curled into a ball on his ribcage, yellow eyes glowing in the dim light of the moon as it filtered in through his curtains. He stretched out his neck and lapped his rough cat tongue against Harry's cheek and his whiskers tickled his nose. Smiling, Harry brought up a hand to pet him, wondering if he was dreaming.

Asmodeus pushed his head into the thinner than usual hand, craving the affection and near unconditional love Harry's small body radiated. He had missed this so much, and he began to purr deep in his throat.

----

End chapter 76

Whoa. This is the longest chapter in a really long time. Review if you want another update shakes fist


	77. Chapter 77

CHAPTER 77

The first rays of the rising sun filtered through his curtains and Harry stirred slightly, trying to protect his eyes from the gentle light. It was too late, though. He slowly felt himself waking up, and raised himself on his elbows to see if Asmodeus was still with him. Spying the Demon curled up on the pillow next to the one Harry was using; he reached up a hand to pet his ears. They perked up and he grinned, rubbing harder.

"How did you manage to sneak off?" He whispered, not wanting to bother with a silencing spell and at the same time not wanting his dorm mates to wake up and start harassing him. The Demon transformed, brown eyes sparkling with mischief for a moment before seizing Harry in a crushing hug. "I'm supposed to be sleeping in my tent like a good tin soldier right now, but I decided to come see my favorite soul instead. Hope you don't mind…" Harry could feel his smile against his hair where he had decided to bury his face. He found himself very pleased that he'd remembered to wash it properly last night after his impromptu meeting with his only remaining blood family.

"Not at all." Harry laced their fingers together, careful not to bump a thick cut on Asmodeus' palm and the cracked skin on his knuckles. "How long can you stay?"

"Only a few more minutes, or I'll be missed back at the camp. This is a huge risk as it is, since we could have been attacked while I was gone."

"Oh." Harry whispered, feeling his depression swarming up from the pit he'd pushed it into last night. He felt like crying. Why hadn't he taken advantage of the early days when he'd had Asmodeus every day without interruption or months between sightings?

Sensing Harry's change in mood, he gave him a little squeeze and asked, "What's wrong?"

"I just miss you is all." In reply Asmodeus kissed his forehead before saying, "I miss you too. The other soldiers don't hold a candle to any kind of decent company, and the sergeants want to castrate me." A giggle bubbled out of Harry's throat despite his mood and he found himself smiling up at the Demon, and wondering if he would mind a bit of kissing. Deciding that he wouldn't, he arched up a bit in his lap so he could press his lips to the other's. Their teeth bumped a bit when they both smiled at the same time, but the momentary pain was soon forgotten. Several heated exchanges later, Asmodeus reluctantly pulled away.

"Harry, it is almost time for you to get up and I have to go back to the camp. If God smiles on us, I might be able to sneak out again for tomorrow night. Can you hold out until then? I know you stopped eating again, and I don't like the idea of you wasting away in my absence!" Harry found himself flinching, not having realized that Asmodeus had noticed his self-destructive habit. "Harry, please, for me, please take care of yourself. I love you too much, and it hurts to think that while I'm gone you could die from starvation or some bizarre exhaustion-fueled accident."

Harry laughed at the last option, his mind supplying several amusing mental images of the sort of things he was prone to doing when sleep-deprived.

"Okay. I'll try to do better, but only for you."

"You had better. It takes lots of energy to…um…never mind." Harry almost started laughing again before realizing that his friends would start waking up any minute. "I have to go, Harry. See you sometime soon, I hope." Kissing Harry chastely on the mouth, he vanished in the usual cloud of sulphur. Harry knew better than to breathe it in by now, and held his breath until it dissipated. "Good bye." He whispered to the warm spot on his bed where Asmodeus had been sitting, curling up on it and pressing his face into the sheets shortly afterwards, determined to enjoy the last vestiges of his scent before the House Elves changed their sheets.

-------

End chapter 77

Ack! Not only is it short, its also late! I do, however, have an excuse(s). I'm on the rag, and couldn't concentrate through the fog of pain (my cramps are abnormally extreme, according to my doctor) and my sister finally let me drag her to the bookstore. Please review since they make me feel good inside, and I really need that right now if you guys expect an update anytime soon 

I love all the support you guys give this story! 3


	78. Chapter 78

If any of you guys have not listened to "6 Underground" by Sneaker Pimps, your life is seriously missing something. This chapter was written while listening to Mozart's more depressing songs, in case anybody cares.

CHAPTER 78

"I could have sworn it said that the liver meant-"

"Vladimir, could you please stop muttering to yourself. It's making me nervous." Bronislav cut in, boots making quiet tapping sounds on the concrete floor of the warehouse they were meeting the Korean officials in to administer the potion. His brother shot him a pout but did cease his increasingly disturbing murmurings. Since when did Vampires practice Divination? Bronislav wondered, almost walking into a box because of his wandering thoughts. His brother smoothly concealed this by grabbing his arm and leading him down the rest of the hallway in a rigidly straight line. Reaching the door, Vladimir opened it for them, but Bronislav knew it was an excuse to not be the first one to enter. Rolling his eyes, he stepped inside, the younger man standing suspiciously close to him.

"Ah, you have arrived." The official said stiffly, looking about to piss his pants.

"Yes, we have. Here is the potion. Have her drink it in one go on the full moon of your choice. The time doesn't matter as long as the moon isn't too young or too old."

"I understand."

"Good! I can sincerely say that I hope our paths do not cross again." Vladimir interjected, seizing Bronislav by the arm and practically dragging him out of the stuffy little room painted in a disgustingly cheerful shade of yellow, not unlike the kind used for nurseries. As soon as the door was closed behind them they disparated to the site of their old house before it had been decimated. Nobody would suspect them of re-settling there, after all.

-----

"Um, Harry?" Vincent asked, not quite understanding why his friend was curled into a little ball on an indent in his bed inhaling a handful of sheets steadily. A pair of bleary green eyes appeared over the edge of the sheet and he asked, voice hoarse with emotion, "Yes, Vincent?"

"Are you…feeling okay?"

He was about to lie and say he was fine but thought better of it. Friends meant trust, didn't it? "No. I slept wonderful last night, but woke up too early and now I can't get anymore sleep. I think I have a fever, actually."

"Oh, shit! Here, let me feel your forehead." Harry raised his head a bit from the covers so his friend could touch it and he whistled. "Unless you have a higher blood temperature than most humans, I'd say you definitely have a fever. Should I go get the nurse?"

"N-no. But some water would be great."

"Okay. Do you want anything to eat or are you too nauseous to keep it down?"

"Um, if you could, maybe some toast or an orange? Citrus is supposed to help or something."

"No problem. I gotta go, though, so I won't be late for class. See you later and I hope you feel better!"

"Thanks." Harry murmured, returning to his previous burrowing into the sheets. His smell still clung to them, and despite his physical pain, Harry glowed with happiness inside.

---------

"So, heads or tails?" Vladimir asked, pulling a galleon from his pocket. They had argued for quite some time on who was going to repair the house itself and who would perform the exhausting warding ritual that they had finally agreed on as it would protect both of them _and _Harry, since they had every intention of having him spend the summer with them. It hadn't been easy to design the spellwork, and it had required further alterations when they remembered Harry was a human.

Bronislav sighed, wondering how they had been reduced to this. "Heads." He bit out, eyes wandering alternately around the wreckage and the extensive patch of forest they had commandeered for their own. Distantly he heard the coin land with a soft thump on the ash, a shiny heads shining up at them. Grinning at his pouting brother, he set to work clearing away the rubble so he could make the basement.

-----

End chapter 78

Still shorter than I wanted, but an updates an update right? Poor Harry is getting sick left and right, isn't he! Poor little thing pets his hair Please review!


	79. Chapter 79

CHAPTER 79

Watching his sickening green-colored vomit disappear down the drain, Harry dry-heaved for a few moments before turning the faucet on so the water could wash away the remains of his stomach's contents. Rinsing his mouth to prevent the lingering stomach acid from eating away the enamel of his teeth, he raised his head to examine his countenance in the mirror. His skin rivaled Muggle paper in color and thickness, and his eyes seemed to be surrounded by permanent black smudges. He had been sleeping almost constantly for the past several days but it had made no difference. Asmodeus' letter explaining that he had to be increasingly stealthy due to an increase in hostile neighbors, which roughly translated to 'visits will be fewer and farther between than before' had not helped his motivation to get better. Surprisingly, Madam Pomfrey, after bustling her way into the boy's dormitory unannounced on his second day absent from classes, had proclaimed his illness to be a mystery. He was apparently not suffering from a normal fever, but some kind of chromosome re-writing, which was not uncommon for blossoming magical children of pureblood. However, the intensity of it had worried her greatly, and it was only after much pleading that he was allowed to stay in his dorm instead of the medical wing of the Castle. Hogwarts herself seemed concerned, and had tried to make him feel a little better by shifting the entire sewer system temporarily so Hedwig could come visit while his friends were still in classes. Most of the time he was conscious he spent it studying obscure magic or swallowing Potions forced on him by the medi witch.

Shuffling back to bed, he absently petted Draco's new cat on the head as he passed it. The ball of black fluff purred loudly and leaped off of Draco's bed and onto Harry's, curling up in the crook of Harry's elbow, and he figured that he could kill some time playing with the cat instead of reading as he had been doing all morning.

When the feline flicked its tongue against his fingers in a show of friendliness, Harry unexpectedly found himself wanting to cry. "Have I turned into a girl or something?" He muttered, angry at himself for being so human. Madam Pomfrey chose that moment to floo into his room, of course, emerging from the fireplace elegantly and free of soot. Stalking over to him where he lay in bed trying to still the shaking in his shoulders and stinging in his eyes and throat, she uncorked a Potion and handed it to him. She didn't appear to have noticed his emotional state. Gulping the nasty fluid down, Harry thanked her before handing the empty vial back. She gave him a cheerful smile and seated herself on the edge of his bed, raising his eyebrow at the cat happily purring away with its nose buried in Harry's elbow. He smiled sheepishly, although his green eyes were a tad misty, and she smiled back.

"How are you feeling today, Mr. Potter?"

"I'm alright, just a little nauseous. I tried to eat some soup earlier but it came up a few minutes ago."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. I had thought we were progressing in the food area." She pursed her lips, looking out-out.

"I'm sorry." Harry offered, just in case.

"No need to apologize for what isn't your fault, young man. I expect you to call on me the next time you eat something, though, so I can examine the vomit and see what is causing your stomach to be so unstable."

"Is it unusual for me to have an aversion to food right now?"

"Very." She murmured, eyes growing vague as she stared off into the distance, obviously deep in thought. Harry tried to be quiet while shifting his hand up to continue his previous pastime of stroking the soft fur of the cat's head. It butted into his hand, rough kitty tongue lapping at his fingers again when he paused to stretch his cramping shoulder. He smiled faintly at it and it seemed to know he was pleased since it crawled up his less-sore arm and settled itself beneath his chin like Asmodeus had done nearly a week ago during his too-brief visit. Feeling his emotions surge forward again, he clenched his fist in the sheets to hold them back for now, intending to release them the moment she left.

Coming back to herself, she sent him an embarrassed look before using the floo to return to her office in the Infirmary. He rolled his eyes in amusement, finally allowing a tear to roll down his cheek, pleased when no more followed. The cat purred again, rubbing its head against the soft skin of Harry's neck.

Smiling, he settled down into the pillows and picked up a Muggle book on phone calls from the dead that one of the older Ravenclaw students he was friendly with had picked up for him as a get-well present.

-------

"How goes the preparation, Severus?" Tom asked, circling the wooden work bench to hover over the Potion Master's shoulder. Snape shot him a death glare and he wisely stepped back a few feet to give him his space.

"It is going the same as it was 5 minutes ago, when you last asked me that." His attitude was disrespectful, but since he was currently the only Death Eater with any inclination to be or pretend to be helpful, Tom let it go with a sigh.

"Well, do you need any assistance?"

"Besides peace and quiet?" Severus' voice was nearly growl, and even though he couldn't see them, Tom knew his eyes would be blazing with suppressed frustration. From what he had gathered with some very subtle mental prodding, he had had some kind of argument with his lover and they weren't on speaking terms.

"Never mind then. Let me know when you finish, since I'll be on the porch." Tom had found a small abandoned property in the middle of nowhere and right on the edge of a large and benign forest. Their closest neighbors were a pair of odd young men living in a large white farm house style home on the other side of the woods.

Tom had just finished settling in his new base when they had showed up on his doorstep, bearing some kind of delightful and rich chocolate cake that he had welcomed. He was a closet chocolate addict, and the cake was the only reason he hadn't done away with them. Besides, after introducing themselves as the distant neighbors, they hadn't come to visit again or even wandered within his alert wards set up around his house.

Stepping outside, he seated himself on the porch to enjoy the chill of the evening in peace. He knew he should track down his wayward minions and _Crucio _them into submission, but found himself lacking the energy or desire to do so. Wherever he had been sent after dying had certainly dulled his then-voracious sadistic side, and his sanity was a lot better than it had been in decades. Summoning some coffee from the kitchen, he sipped it while watching the moon rise over the ice-coated oaks that made up the forest. It may be devoid of malicious creatures and ancient spellwork gone rotten, but it still looked disturbing at times. He shivered involuntarily, quickly passing it off as the cold, although he could have sworn he'd seen a pair of glowing red eyes watching him from the shadow of a particularly large tree.

Deciding that he'd had enough of the outdoors, he headed inside and up stairs to the room in which he had haphazardly flung his extensive collection of Dark Arts volumes.

-------

End chapter 79

Finally a chapter of decent length, after two sorry updates masquerading as proper chapters 

I love all the reviews this story is getting, and I don't think I deserve them but please don't stop! ;)


	80. Chapter 80

Okay, since this is the 80th chapter I sat up and thought about how long this thing is getting. How many of you guys are open to me ending this one at the end of 2nd/summer before 3rd year and then working on a sequel that will span 3rd and 4th, then another one with 5 and 6, etc. ?

The reason for this is so late I jump up my schedule a little, and that will lower the already teeny tiny chance of me abandoning this. We still have a while to go with 2nd year, though, so this thing could quite possibly be 100 chapters before we reach 3rd. Just review or click on the message button at the top of my profile page and give me a yes or no if you are short on time but still want to contribute. Also, if you are about to vote no, just think of the thousands of chapters this thing is going to end up being since the story doesn't end at 7th year with a shitty epilogue 19 years in the future. Thanks so much!

CHAPTER 80

"You are…healed…I'm not sure what I did right, but there is nothing wrong with you anymore." Madam Pomfrey was staring at her wand in apparent awe while Harry tried very hard to maintain his mask of surprise and suppress his laughter. He had been lucid enough yesterday to ask the Castle to arrange a tunnel for him to reach her medi-magic books and anything that looked relevant in the Restricted section. He noticed while he was in the library that the warding spells used to protect the books from innocent eyes had been strengthened but it didn't stop him from procuring some sketchier volumes.

He did run into Edmund while wandering the shelves in his pajamas, though, and the older boy had looked more interested then he should have in the bare skin exposed through his hastily buttoned shirt. The nurse had needed him to take it on and off for various tests, and he had taken to leaving it half-buttoned to save time. Curiously, he wondered why Edmund had been looking. His chest wasn't impressive or even attractive yet due to his age, but the glitter in the Hufflepuff's eye had made him a little nervous to be alone with him, so he had made some excuses and fled before getting nearly as many books as he'd wanted to.

Researching any and all information he could on his symptoms, he created a hybrid of the spells used to cure each and every one of the individual problems before casting it on himself last night so it would have the entire night to 'work it's magic' so to speak. Apparently he had done something right since he felt better physically at the moment than he could remember. The only thing keeping him from feeling perfect was Asmodeus' absence. His half-smile faded and he seemed to droop in his bed.

"Mr. Potter? Are you alright?" She asked, reaching out a hand to shake his shoulder. He did his best to snap out of it and offered her a fake smile that she didn't see through since there was no tell-tale tightening of her eyes.

"Fine. Just a little sad to go back to classes." She laughed and he managed to pretend that it was a joke. When she left to let him get changed, he pulled on the now heavy-feeling robes and school uniform. Carefully shrinking and concealing the books he had filched from the library and her shelves, he shouldered his bag and headed out to make the first class of the week, Potions. Placing notice-me-not and silencing charms on himself, he eased the door of the classroom open slowly so it wouldn't be terribly noticeable in case Professor Snape happened to glance at the door the exact moment he slipped in. Guiding it closed behind him after entering, he glided silently to his seat beside Ted and removed the charms so he could add ingredients to the Potion. The brunette jumped when he noticed his friend standing next to him, calmly chopping newt tails into hexagons. Harry smiled softly and Ted blinked before grinning and briefly giving him a one-armed hug under the table where Professor Snape wouldn't see.

Hugging him back, Harry looked over his shoulder at Vincent and Gregory who were at the back and smiled. They looked surprised that they hadn't noticed him but smiled nonetheless, mouthing congratulations on his recovery. He mouthed back 'thank you' and returned his attention to the newt chopping so he wouldn't slice his fingers to pieces in his inattention.

When it was time for them to bring their potion up (they had finished first), Harry carried it to the front, getting stares from the other students. He nodded politely to Professor Snape and headed back to his seat.

The rest of his classes went much the same, and he wondered why he hadn't noticed how much attention people gave him. He was just an insignificant Slytherin 2nd year, and he wasn't in any of the clubs or on the Quidditch team so there was no reason for this kind of publicity. Sighing, he trudged up the stairs to the library, hoping to lose well-meaning but annoying ravenclaws filled with questions regarding his mysterious illness.

---

Pulling absently on a loose thread in their tablecloth, Vladimir admitted to himself that he was bored. Bronislav had left for some kind of meeting with AFANASEI and had been gone for the past two, almost three, weeks. He had finished reading Ingrid's entire collection of Dark Arts tomes and had re-read all the other books in the house, which was no mean feat considering the amount. Having gotten desperate for something to do yesterday, he had cleaned every crevice and corner of the house and pruned away any diseased or dying trees from the forest. Now he had nothing to do.

Or did he? Remembering their skittish neighbor, he stood up in one movement, manic smile in place. Nobody objected to a little neighborly company, now, did they?

---

End chapter 80

Review if you want me to update!!


	81. Chapter 81

Because I have a weakness for contagiously happy music in languages I can not understand, I would recommend this song to anyone having a bad day- "Nari Narien (Habibi Dah)" by Hisham Abbas. It can be found on Youtube. Heh heh heh…

CHAPTER 81

Hearing a rapping on his door, Tom untangled himself from his sheets and headed downstairs to see what madman had dared to disturb him in the middle of the night, a time he had allotted to studying Light Magic fighting techniques so he would know what to expect next time he battled a group of aurors. Swinging it open, he eyed the more frightening of his two neighbors.

"Can I help you?"

"Tom, was it?"

'_How rude! You're never supposed to answer a question with a question…' _He mentally seethed before nodding curtly to the neighbor whose name he had inadvertently forgotten as well. "And your name was?" He asked, plastering on a sickening polite expression. He may have been able to get away with being rude to complete strangers before his death, but now he was greatly diminished and he got the feeling that this man was far more dangerous than he looked, and he looked quite menacing as it was.

"Vladimir Polski. I was just wondering if you wanted some company?" That one threw him. Why would a near-stranger come to his home in the dark of night with an invitation for companionship?

"Um…what kind of company?" There was always the chance that he was some kind of rapist, after all.

"Well, we could read in the same room, we could go to the same café or coffee shop, we could go to a library…lots of stuff that I'm sick of doing by myself."

"What about your brother?"

"He's been out of town for a while and the loneliness is getting to me. I mean, you don't have to come with me or anything, but I just wanted you to know that the offer is open."

Come to think of it, he _had _been feeling a little lonely since Severus had last been here. "Coffee sounds good, actually. Wait a few minutes for me to get dressed, alright?"

"Okay." Vladimir leaned against the doorframe, sharp eyes examining every detail of the house. He blinked when he saw the tell-tale shimmer of wards and the elongated shadows that seemed to cloak every corner or anyplace where shadows could be born. Whoever Tom was, he knew some powerful magic, and not the friendly kind. He smiled, realizing that his evening just got a whole lot better. After years of weaseling information out of many different kinds of people with varying degrees of loyalty, he could safely call himself an expert.

Upstairs in his closet, Tom felt an inexplicable desire to run far, far away from his strange guest, but shook it off as suppressed paranoia. What did he have to fear?

---

Feeling himself drifting off to the strains of their pompous and quite useless DADA teacher, he pinched himself and managed to keep himself awake by watching the near-blinding patterns of light reflecting off of Professor Lockhart's robes. A sleepy smile spread across his face when he thought he saw Asmodeus' face in the glowing designs. Draco, from his vantage point of sitting next to him, stared in bewilderment at his friend's increasingly frightening range of smiles. Elbowing him, he hissed, "Harry, pay attention! You know neither of us wants detention with the bastard."

The mention of detention (it rhymes!) seemed to do the trick, and Harry immediately sat up straighter and pretended to read the shit in their 'textbook'. It was just as well, since Gilderoy choose that moment to ask Harry a question involving a minute detail in one of the books. Answering correctly, since the books were ridiculously easy to memorize, he went back to slumping moodily in his seat.

When the bell rang, Harry happily rushed out the doors sandwiched between Pansy and Daphne, who were busily gossiping about some prank the Weasley twins had pulled on their brother Percy. He tuned them out, mind occupied with the knowledge that in another 2 months he would be free from the mentally stunted environment his classes provided.

-------

End chapter 81

Yeah, another short update. I'm sorry!


	82. Chapter 82

Ugh. Last night I got my hands on a copy of HP5 without my magic-phobic mom noticing, and was sorely disappointed in it. I mean, canon has _always _pissed me off, but this took the cake. The only good things were the extensive scenes containing Lucius and the multiple innuendos only fangirls (or fanboys) can pick up. If you haven't seen it yet and have a shaky respect for canon, don't watch it. It's a waste of time. But hey, that's what fan fiction is for! XD sorry about the rant guys.

CHAPTER 82

Stepping outside to pay the Giant Squid a visit (and his father), his boot landed in the only puddle marring the pathway. Sighing, Harry cast a drying charm with a tiny flick of his wand, not bothering to wave it like he was supposed to, and continued walking towards their meeting place. From here he could see Luna curled into a crook of one of the tree branches, three calico kittens curled in her arms purring happily. Waving up at her once he'd reached the foot of the tree, he turned to throw the fish he'd brought with him from the kitchen into the lake where the squid's tentacles were anticipating the treats.

Having finished that, he cleaned his hands off before unwrapping a Blood Pop and sticking it in his mouth. Draco had gotten him addicted to the candies over Christmas, and was endlessly amused by people's reactions to Harry's sugar highs. Settling down on the only slightly damp grass at the foot of the tree, he pulled a book on how to disable blood wards from his bag. Luna slid out of the tree and landed by his side, the cats following soon afterwards, so she could read over his shoulder.

It was this scene that James and Maalik came upon, since Sirius and Regulus had claimed to have something to do back at the hotel (heh heh heh…) and had therefore sent a box containing two classical French novels and some Muggle chocolate as an apology. Seating himself next to Harry, James tried to remember bits of his prepared acceptance speech that he had worked on to express to Harry that he loved him just the way he was because he was his son, but couldn't remember a word. Unbeknownst to him, Harry knew exactly what was going on, and he hid his smile by lowering his chin under the pretense of reading. James noticed the book but couldn't see the title, so he asked, "What are you reading?"

"The Mysteries of Bypassing Blood Magic-Fueled Wards Unlocked by Miranda Griffith." Harry answered, raising one half of the book for inspection, trying not to laugh at the dumbfounded look on James' face. Maalik leaned over James to get a closer look and asked, "Isn't that a bit…advanced? I'm not saying you're not capable of reading it, only that it was probably intended for an older crowd."

"Yes, you could say that it was, but I find it interesting and useful so I have everything to gain by reading it."

"Ah." As one, Maalik and James noticed Luna's diminutive figure seated on Harry's other side and jumped. Her eyes settled vaguely on them for several seconds before she looked away, apparently not considering them of enough interest for any extended amount of attention. "Harry, can I borrow this book from you later? I need to go retrieve my jewelry from my room mates while they are in the library."

"How do you know they're in the library?" James asked curiously. She smiled and replied, "I just know. I'll see you later, I suppose."

"Don't follow any rabbits, Alice." Harry called after her, a smirk fluttering around his mouth. She grinned at him before scampering off to the open doors of the Castle. Still smiling Harry turned to his father and explained, "That was Luna Lovegood. She's a bit different, but so am I so who am I to complain?" He winked cheerfully and packed his book back into his bag so he could devote more attention to the conversation.

"But you called her Alice." James stated, staring at the way Harry's hair moved like snakes in the breeze. It was almost completely in braids today because he'd let Blaise go nuts on it since he was bored. A few thick ringlets were left loose in the back, mixed with the varying in size braids. He'd also gotten a fringe lately so he could hide his eyes if need arose for him to lie to someone's face or look more frightening to those unfamiliar with his true disposition.

"Yes, because she resembles something from one of Lewis Carol's books both in appearance and personality." (Am I the only one who noticed that her patronus was a rabbit?)

"I see."

"No, you don't. If you want me to be clearer when I speak, just say so James. I don't bite relatives or friends, and I consider you to be both despite our relatively short amount of time spent together."

"Alright, I'll keep that in mind then." James smiled down at his son and wrapped his arm around his shoulders, trying to remember the things his own father had done for him so he could treat Harry to the same.

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Safely away from Maggie's prying eyes, John wrapped his arms around Rael's neck and pulled him down for a long-overdue kiss. With their search stepped up, they no longer had the many hours of free time that they had before and were reduced to snatching moments of affection in closets like they were doing at the moment. Hearing feet passing by their hiding spot, he prayed it wasn't a maid needing to use the supplies in their closet. They faded into the distance, though, so he deemed it safe to maneuver himself onto the redhead's lap despite the cramped space and uncomfortable workbench Rael was seated on. Smiling into the kiss, Rael allowed himself to forget about whatever cosmic being watching them, focusing on the slightly sandy texture of John's lips.

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End chapter 82

Sorry it took so long to post this, but I was busy and only was able to get started on this a few hours ago, and then only in minute sequences. As for the random kissage in the last paragraph, I was missing my Angel/Human slash too much.


	83. Chapter 83

CHAPTER 83

Slipping between a pair of gossiping Gryffindor girls, Harry climbed the ladder onto the train and made his way down the cars in search of an empty compartment. Being one of the last to board the train, but the first of his group, he slammed the door open of one containing 4 skittish-looking Ravenclaws. Reducing the unfortunate boys to tears, he waited for them to gather their things before grabbing a window seat. The threw him terrified glances as they vacated the section but he ignored them, eyes fastened on the yellow mist creeping along the ground despite the humidity of the day. The sky was mottled with dark clouds pregnant with rain, and the last patch of blue sky gradually shrunk as the day went on. Since everyone had apparently boarded, the train jerked forward, wheels making a screeching sound as they began to turn.

There was a rap on the glass door of his compartment and his head rose from his book to see Draco and the rest grinning at him. With a flick of his fingers his locking charms vanished and they burst in, Pansy loudly exclaiming that she was happy to be free of their incompetent DADA teacher, who seemed to have developed something of a crush on her (now there's a pairing I haven't seen before…) and had stalked her mercilessly through the halls for the remaining 2 weeks and vainly attempted to engage her in conversation after class. Laughing at some clever insult she had made regarding Lockhart's signature grin, he thought about what people meant when they said these were the best years of his life. Maybe he could agree with them, for once.

There was just one person missing.

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End chapter 83

Okay guys, this is the end of part one in the Demons series (shut up! I got sick of scrolling down so much to post the next chappy), but never fear! Tomorrow, or possibly today, I will post the first chapter of the next part which will cover years 3 and 4.

Thank you to all of you who have followed this story so faithfully and given me so much support through countless reviews and PMs. Feel free to give suggestions for the title of the next segment, okay?


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